Introducing the Board Spotlight, a fresh addition to our bi-weekly Insights newsletter. This feature illuminates the trailblazing individuals who are steering the course for OGR with their forward-thinking approach. For more information, click here.
Kim Hunter is the president and owner of Humphrey Funeral Home A.W. Miles - Newbigging Chapel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition to his place on the OGR Board of Directors, Hunter also chairs OGR's Finance Committee and the OGR Foundation Board of Directors, serves as Secretary/Treasurer on the OGR Executive Committee, and serves on the organization's Study Group Task Force. The OGR Insights Newsletter caught up with Kim to talk about working with family, living in Toronto, and the value he gains from OGR involvement.
OGR: Tell us about your family, pets, and where you call home.
KH: I'm a proud Canadian who calls Toronto his home. I own Humphrey Funeral Home and my son Jake has joined the firm and it's wonderful to have him as part of our team. My house is right behind our business and Jake lives a block down the street so we are together in one capacity or another almost daily.
OGR: What do you like to do for fun or relax?
KH: I'm not golfing as much as I used to, but the opportunity to spend some time in Naples, FL or my cottage north of Toronto is always time of fun or family bonding. Life in the city of Toronto, where we have such a multicultural population allows for so many wonderful dining experiences from street food to some of the finest dining experiences you can imagine is something I enjoy. We are fortunate to be a major sporting hub in North America, so I take advantage of going to every Leafs, Raptors, and Jays game that I get the opportunity to attend.
How did you first become involved in OGR, and what motivated you to do so?
KH: Our firm is a long-standing member of OGR and my role in the business prior to my ownership was to be the face of our company in the community and the owner was very involved in professional funeral organizations including as a past president of OGR.
OGR: What made you want to join OGR's Board of Directors?
KH: I need to give my thanks to a long-standing member of our group named George Darte for reaching out and asking if I would consider serving on the board. I had served on numerous not-for-profit boards in our community including two major hospitals and I thought that maybe it was time for me to give back to my profession.
OGR: What message or advice would you like to share with other members who might be considering getting more involved?
KH: We have an incredible board led by our President Chris Miller, and Wendy King has put together an excellent executive team at our head office, so it's such an honor to serve with this group. I have learned so much about our profession from such a broad perspective and it's been a great learning experience to see funeral service out of my own insulated city.
What other board work, volunteering, or side work do you do?
KH: I currently serve on the board for the Royal Canadian Military Institute Foundation. I'm an active member of the Rotary Club of Toronto, and I just completed my presidency of the Stockwatchers Club of Toronto.
OGR: Is there anything else we should know about you?
KH: I could not be a bigger booster of our study groups that have provided so much material to consider and explore as avenues in my own firm. The friendships of so many people like Chris in California, Paul in Ohio, Charles in New York State, Chris in Kentucky, Pete in New Jersey and of course George in Ontario have given me the opportunity for the first time in my profession to pick up the phone and have these fellow professionals as a sounding board as I explore challenges in my own firm. This past summer, I hosted my first study group and it meant so much to have such a diverse group from across North America.