The Commonwealth Faculty
Raising the Bar of Educational Excellence
Jason C. Altieri
President and Chief Executive Officer
Jason C. Altieri
Dr. Altieri earned a B.S. in Funeral Service Education from the University of Central Oklahoma; an M.S. in Management Science from Southern Nazarene University; and is a Doctor of Education specializing in higher education administration, a degree he earned from Texas Tech University. He is also a licensed practitioner in both Oklahoma and Texas.
The native of Massachusetts’ South Shore moved to Amarillo, Texas, in 1998 to start the Amarillo College Mortuary Science program. He served there, as a faculty member and administrator, until 2005, when he became President of Commonwealth Institute. He has designed and taught numerous academic and continuing education courses (both traditional and on-line formats), including: business law, mortuary jurisprudence, history of funeral service, funeral directing practices, small business management, accounting, restorative art, technical procedures and regulatory compliance.
In addition to administration and teaching, Dr. Altieri serves on the Committee on Accreditation for the American Board of Funeral Service Education; the programs and education committee for the Texas Funeral Directors Association; the Board of Regents for the National Museum of Funeral History; and previously on the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Funeral Service Education. He is the co-author of Fires of Change: A Comprehensive Examination of Cremation, and Fundamentals of Funeral Directing: Building a Professional Cornerstone.
Christopher C. Layton
Dean of Students, Title IX Coordinator
Christopher C. Layton
Christopher Layton has a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and a master’s degree from the University of Houston. Layton graduated from the mortuary science program at Cypress College in Cypress, Calif., and is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in Arizona, California and Texas.
Layton began working, as a teenager, for his cousin’s funeral home in Safford, Ariz. While attending Arizona State University, he served his apprenticeship at Messinger Mortuary in Scottsdale, Ariz. After graduation, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he taught school and continued working in the funeral profession on the weekends. In 1988, he joined the training department of Pierce Brothers Mortuaries, one of the largest and oldest funeral firms in Los Angeles. In 1991, he accepted a position with the training department of Service Corporation International in Houston, the world’s largest provider of funeral and cemetery services. At that time, he began teaching part-time at Commonwealth Institute and full-time in 1992, he accepted it. He is currently Dean of Students and teaches mainly in the funeral service arts.
In Los Angeles, Layton was a board member of the Los Angeles County Funeral Directors Association. He currently serves on the board of the Houston Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association and chairs the Programs and Education Committee of the Texas Funeral Directors Association.
Stuart Moen
Dean of Academic Affairs, Instructor
Stuart Moen
Stuart Moen, a native of Rapid City, SD, graduated in 1978 with an M.A. degree in Adult and Higher Education from the University of South Dakota at Vermillion. In 1980, he graduated with a B.S. degree with distinction from the University of Minnesota—Dept. of Mortuary Science.
Dean Moen began his career in funeral service education in February, 1984. He teaches Anatomy I & II, Embalming I, II & III, Forensic Pathology, Microbiology and Thanatochemistry.
In May 1988, Moen became Dean of Academics at Commonwealth Institute.
Patricia Moreno
Registrar
Patricia Moreno
Patricia Ann Tamayo Moreno graduated from Commonwealth College of Sciences in 1980 and began her apprenticeship with Darling Mouser Funeral Home in her hometown of Brownsville, Texas. She completed her apprenticeship at Heights Funeral Home in Houston and came to work for the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in 1981. She is married to Jesse B. Moreno, who is also a graduate of Commonwealth College of Sciences.
David Taylor
Clinical Coordinator
David Taylor
David E. Taylor, Jr. is a 1994 graduate of Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service. He served and completed his apprenticeship in 1995, with Huntsville Funeral Home in Huntsville, Texas. He spent 20 years, both in staff and management, serving many families and communities in the states of Texas, Missouri, and New Mexico. He joined Commonwealth Institute in 2014, where he loves teaching and being a mentor to those entering the funeral profession. In his spare time, David enjoys being out on the lake where he is licensed as a boat captain.
David is a member of the Commonwealth Institute Alumni Association, Texas Funeral Directors Association, and Southeast Texas Funeral Directors Association.
Melissa B. Davis
Librarian
Melissa B. Davis
Melissa Brady Davis received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas, in 1972. She completed her Master of Library Science degree in 1980 at Sam Houston State University. For 34 years she served an area school district as campus Librarian, Technology Coordinator, and District Library Coordinator. She joined Commonwealth Institute in 2013.
Mrs. Davis is a member of the Texas Library Association, the Texas Classroom Teachers Association, and the Texas Retired Teachers Association. She and her husband are “The Invented Wheel Education Consultants”. In her spare time Mrs. Davis enjoys reading, woodworking, and flying.
Rene’ Altheimer
Admissions Specialist, Title IX Coordinator
> Rene’ Altheimer
Rene’ Altheimer has been working at Commonwealth Institute since November, 2012. Rene’ currently serves on the Admissions Team as an Admissions Specialist and is also a Title IX Coordinator.
Cody L. Lopasky
Associate Dean of Academics
Cody L. Lopasky
Cody Lopasky has an M.A. in Psychology and History from the University of Houston-Victoria, a B.A. in Psychology from Texas State University-San Marcos, and he is an A.A.S. graduate with honors and distinction from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service. As a student at Commonwealth, Lopasky was a member of the National Funeral Service Honor Society. He is a Texas-licensed funeral director and embalmer as well as a certified crematory operator. Starting in high school, and continuing after licensure, Lopasky worked at Schmidt Funeral Home in Katy, TX. He was employed there as a funeral director and embalmer for several years before joining the education side of funeral service in 2016 when he accepted a full-time faculty position. Currently, Lopasky is the Associate Dean of Academics and teaches both face-to-face and online courses. Lopasky enjoys writing and academic research; especially in regard to funeral service. He has published numerous articles, written a continuing education course for funeral service practitioners, and was a contributor for a funeral service education textbook.
Marlene Perry
Financial Aid Advisor
Marlene Perry
Marlene joined Commonwealth Institute after spending over twenty years managing a doctor’s medical practice. Marlene coordinates all financial aid activities and assists students with finding the funding to pursue their careers.
Marlene was born in Cartagena, Colombia, and moved to the United States as a child with her parents and siblings. After finishing high school, Marlene attended Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.
Marlene is married and has four children ranging in age from sixteen to twenty-two. When not at the office helping students, Marlene enjoys the outdoors, is an avid runner, loves to cook, and volunteers at local charities.
Shannon Altieri
Distance Education Coordinator
B.S. University of Central Oklahoma
Professional Licensure: Oklahoma
Lauren Budrow
Instructor
M.B.A Butler University
B.A. Indiana University
A.S. Vincennes University
Professional Licensure: Washington and Indiana
Dr. Jose Cortes
Instructor
D.V.M., National University of Colombia
M.Sc., Lousiana State University
Jenine D. Fastuca
Instructor
M.L.A. Houston Baptist University
B.S. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Coiette P. Gaston
Instructor
M.A. Texas Southern University
B.A. Prairie View A&M University
Quianna Glapion
Instructor
M.A. Texas Southern University
B.A. Loyola University
Jane Hemberger
Instructor
M.Ed. Boston College
B.F.A. University of California Berkley
A.A.S. Commonwealth Institute
Professional Licensure: Texas
Shantelle D. Holts
Instructor
M.A. University of Houston-Clear Lake
B.S. Prairie View A&M University
A.A.S. Commonwealth Institute
Jessika Jenkins
Instructor
M.Ed. Texas Tech University
B.S. Texas A&M University
A.A.S. Commonwealth Institute
Professional Licensure: Texas
Gustave Milburn, Jr.
Instructor
M.A. University of Texas at San Antonio
B.S. Texas A&M University
Remo Portelli
Instructor
M.S.W. Fordham University
B.A. Upsala College
Certificate of Proficiency, Funeral Directing – St. Louis Community College
Carolina Ramos
Administrative Assistant
Eugenia P. Robbins
Instructor
M.A. University of Alaska Fairbanks
B.S. University of Texas Austin
Certificate of Proficiency, Funeral Directing – St. Louis Community College
Professional Licensure: Texas
Jennafer Schnautz
Instructor
M.A. Texas A&M University
B.S. Rice University