History & Staff

Steve P. Dillard, Owner/Funeral Director

Experience and passion is what Steve Dillard brings to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel. Born and raised in Hanford where his parents and one sister still live, Steve started his, nearly 40 years experience in the funeral business, at 14 washing the cars at Peoples Funeral Chapel in Hanford, where his uncle John E. Lemos worked, and Steve continued to learn the business there for the next several years. At 20 Steve began an apprenticeship as well as broadened his experience with Whitehurst-McNamara in Hanford and continued working for the Lowen Group until he moved to Laguna Hills California in June 1987 where he worked for O’Connor Laguna Hills Mortuary. While working at O’Conner's, he attended Cypress College of Mortuary Science and graduated in December 1988 where he received the Ma Green Outstanding Student Award. After successfully completing the California State Board of Embalmers Exam and the National Board Certificate Exam he returned to the Loewen Group working for Hadley Funeral Chapel in Visalia January 1989. He worked at several Loewen locations in Kings and Tulare Counties before leaving in 1999. In 2001 Steve along with Jeff started the process opening their own chapel. When asked why he chose to open his own chapel, Steve's response was clear, "After traveling for many years with the Lowen Group, I had the opportunity to meet and work for many former chapel owners: Frank and Harold Keaton, Claude Wondrow, Lloyd Bledsoe, Don Miller, David and Paul Miller, Don Evans, Jack Creighton, Joe O'Conner, Dick Hemmingway, Clem McNamara, they all exemplified the importance of quality professional service and I wanted that for myself." Steve has a long history of funeral service here in the valley:

Peoples Funeral Chapel, Hanford CA;
Whitehurst McNamara, Hanford CA;
Hadley Funeral Chapel, Visalia and Farmersville CA;
Millers Memorial Chapel, Visalia CA;
Miller’s Tulare Funeral Chapel CA;
Bledsoe Family Peoples Funeral Chapel, Corcoran CA;

And now a long and successful history owning his own chapel. A proud father of three and grandfather of seven, Steve's roots in the Valley are deep and he looks forward to continuing to serve his community for many years to come building a legacy that lasts for the generations.

Amber E. Dillard, Director of Family Service & Marketing

A Valley Native, Amber graduated from Buchanan High School, received her BA in Early Childhood Education and her MS in Criminology at CSU Fresno. She worked for nearly a decade in telecommunications on the forefront of application development and public safety mobile data following 9/11. So it was a strange turn of fate that changed her trajectory from the high technology of telecom to the funeral industry which was still using typewriters and carbon copies when she began her Funeral Service career in November 2003. Amber worked for over a decade as a Regional Marketing Director representing various agencies and insurance products dedicated to helping Independent Family Owned Funeral Homes educate their communities on the importance and benefits of planning ahead for their funeral or cremation wishes. Fast forward another decade, Amber is dedicated to assisting her husband run the Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapels in Visalia and Kingsburg. While this was never where she thought life would bring her, she is proud to have pushed the funeral industry, and Salser & Dillard specifically, to embrace evolving technology, creating a robust web and social media presence, initially on-site webcasting and now mobile webcasting, as well as the development of tools which aid funeral professionals and families streamline the arrangement and celebration options. Additionally, Amber finds immense satisfaction in helping families create unique and meaningful services to honor, celebrate and memorialize their loved ones.

Josh Golden, Director of Care

Mark Digirolamo, Director of Care

Lydia K. Paul, Family Care Director: Licensed Funeral Director

Cristian Garcia, Funeral Director/Cremationist/Clinical Care Assistant

Christine Serna, Family Care Director

Emilio Alvarez, Family Service Director

Jessica Matta, Family Service Director

Denise Casarez, Family Service Director

Juanita Matta, Family Care Office Manager

Born and raised here in the Central Valley, Juanita is all about family; one of 19 children, she is a loving wife and mother of four. After graduating from College of the Sequoias and working with the Easter Seal Society and Wells Fargo Bank, she found a home working at Holy Family Catholic Church for 14 Years. Her time with the church is what ushered her into serving families in need starting at Miller Memorial Chapel where she first met Steve & Jeff and in Juanita's words was "impressed with their honesty, sincerity and professionalism." She was therefore honored to join their staff in 2004 helping to provide families the utmost in care.

Beth Conty-Golden, Family Care Assistant

Camisha Garcia, Family Care Assistant/Clinical Care Assistant

Mary Huerta-Perez, Family Care Assistant/Family Service Associate

Rosie Flores, Family Care Assistant

Melissa Reynolds, Family Care Assistant

Richard DelReal, Clinical Care Team: Cremationist

Zack Barnes, First Responder

Jayson Blofsky, First Responder

Jake Burton

Logan Rico

Randall Hamman, Clinical Care Assistant

Steve Bardonex, Clinical Care Assistant

Nate Esparza, Family Care Assistant

Frank Morales, Family Care Associate

Tony Brito, Family Care Associate

Sebastian Galaviz, First Responder/Family Care Associate

Elisha Cervantez, Family Care Associate

Sabrina Molina, Family Service Associate

Stephanie Dias, Family Care Associate

Stacy Martinez, Family Care Associate

Erma Martinez, Family Care Associate

Joe Rodriguez, Family Care Associate

Kent Mishler, Family Care Associate

Matt Bither, Family Care Associate/First Responder

Kayla Gamez, Family Care Associate

Fatima Chavez, Family Care Associate

Kevin Lane

Helio Amaral, Facility Care Associate

Paul Dillard, Facility Care Associate