Our Staff

Matthew Fiorillo

President & Owner

Matthew Fiorillo, the owner of the Ballard-Durand Funeral Group, is a licensed funeral director in New York State and Connecticut. He has earned the Certified Funeral Service Practitioner from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, Inc.  Matt has committed to a program of lifelong learning to serve you and families in your community with the level of excellence. He is a lifetime member of the White Plains Historical Society, a member of the Tamarack Country Club, and is honored to be an invited member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes, a Member of the Board of Directors of the White Plains Rural Cemetery, Immediate Past President for Preferred Funeral Directors International and a past former Board Member of Hospice & Palliative Care of Westchester.  Matt is a graduate of Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL, and is originally from West Nyack, NY. He is a long-time resident of Westchester County, where he currently resides.

Ernest J. Carpentieri

Licensed Manager

Melissa Gudiño

General Manager

Mark Press

Advanced Planning Director/Funeral Director

Mark Press is a New York licensed funeral director and embalmer for the Ballard Durand Funeral Group. Mark graduated from American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Services in New York, N.Y. and has been in the profession since 2014. Mark is originally from Orange County, N.Y. and after obtaining his license he moved to Florida to be closer to his family. After 2 years he decided to move back home and now resides in Westchester County. Mark has always enjoyed helping others and considers serving each and every family in their greatest time of need a tremendous honor and privilege.

Kaysie Mandel

Funeral Director

Kaysie Mandel is a New York State licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer for the Ballard-Durand Funeral Group. In 2019, Kaysie graduated from the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Services in New York, N.Y., and has been working in the profession since. Kaysie was born in White Plains, N.Y. and now resides in lower Westchester County with her family. She knew from a young age that this was the profession she was meant to be in. Kaysie takes great pride in taking care of the families she serves and helping them to celebrate the life of their loved ones. 

Tatyana Hladki

Advance Funeral Planner/Director of Aftercare

Tatyana A. Hladki joins the Ballard-Durand Funeral Group as an Advanced Funeral Planner/Director of Aftercare, bringing with her a background in end-of-life care education and hospice. Tatyana is a graduate of CUNY Baruch College, where she received her BS in Public Affairs and her certification as a nonprofit professional. A recent recipient of the Integrative Thanatology certification through NY Open Center’s Art of Dying program, Tatyana is continuing her education to fulfill her requirements as a Thanatologist and Celebrant to provide compassionate and mindful support to families. She is passionate about empowering families through education on end-of-life care and preplanning arrangements to better understand the process, make clear choices that are right for them, and help alleviate financial and emotional burdens during a difficult time. In her spare time, Tatyana enjoys cooking, hiking and consuming the works of her favorite authors: Ayn Rand, C.S. Lewis, Jules Verne, and unapologetically, Nicholas Sparks.