Board of Trustees 2026-2027

Robert Rinklin

President

Robert Rinklin has served as President of NE and the Transition Board for the past three years and has agreed to continue in that position on the new FCANNJ Board of Directors. He is grateful for the dedicated and enthusiastic work by the current Board members and looks forward to focusing on growing the new organization with the new Board. Bob manages a public and media relations company and lives in Montclair, NJ with his wife, Nicole. They have three grown children.

Gerald Fierst

Vice President

Gerald Fierst is a long time resident of Montclair, NJ. He is a certified Civil Celebrant, writing and officiating at life passage ceremonies for births, marriages and funerals. Gerry is also a performing storyteller, author and teaching artist who works in the US and internationally at conferences, museums, schools and libraries.

Bill Slezak

Treasurer

Bill Slezak, a long time resident of northern NJ, had a long career with the US Army Corp of Engineers working in the NY/NJ area on water resource projects. Presently he is working part-time with an engineering consulting firm. Bill brings great technical skills to FCANNJ that are useful for managing our up-to-date telephone communications and our website management. He is an avid tennis player and bicyclist.

Archie Palmer

Trustee

Rev. Archie Palmer joined the Board of MSNENJ in 2014. He has served as treasurer and interim administrator on the transition Board of FCANNJ for the past two years. An ordained Episcopal minister, he has served as interim minister at the Church of the Annunciation in Oradell, NJ since 2011. His wife, Lynne, is the Corresponding Secretary for FCANNJ.

Shari Haber

Trustee

Shari Haber founded Great Goodbyes, LLC in 2017 to help people increase their death literacy, so they may make informed decisions and advance plan their farewell. Her interest in end-of-life issues and funeral practices began when she endeavored to write a TV script about Baby Boomers, and read about the growing death-positive movement plus the notion of “dying well.”

Shari later became certified as a Conscious Dying Coach by the Conscious Dying Institute. In addition to serving as a FCANNJ Trustee, she is a member of the Association of Death Education and Counseling and the New Jersey Health Care QUALITY INSTITUTE Conversations of Your Life (COYL) Task Force. She lives in Upper Saddle River, N.J. with her husband, Manny, and has two grown children.