Program Announced for the CANA 107th Convention 

Registration is open now with special discounts for teams 

WHEELING, IL— This August, you’re invited to the Cremation Association of North America’s 107^th Annual Cremation Innovation Convention, where innovative cremation professionals come together to share ideas, learn from experts, and explore the latest products and services from industry suppliers. Featuring a perfect blend of city excitement and desert serenity, the CANA Convention heads to Phoenix for a mid-year rejuvenation and the opportunity to mingle with the most forward-thinking owners and managers in the profession. Registration is open, so act now to claim your booth, sponsorship, or seat at the table and connect with cremation experts from across the profession. 

Innovative sessions are the core of every CANA Convention, and the 2025 program won’t disappoint. CANA presents experts that will help business leaders hone in on what gives our work meaning: the customer experience. 

In the midst of ongoing and seemingly incalculable changes in this industry, Joan Fox, President of Inspired Solutions, presents what it really takes to succeed with customers and grow your business: a change in mindset. In her keynote session, Are You Creating or Killing Customer Loyalty?, you will learn why customer satisfaction is an inadequate goal, how company culture and customer loyalty are connected, and develop strategies to measure customer loyalty to grow your business. 

Take a close look at Ethics in Cremation: A Colorado Case Study with Faith Haug, Program Director of Arapahoe Community College Mortuary Science Program, and explore a detailed analysis of the three pivotal Colorado cremation cases from 2015-2023 that exposed significant gaps in regulations. Faith will share how these cases directly influenced Colorado’s funeral service laws, how key groups collaborated to create new protective measures, and analyze how public response to these cases illustrates the importance of ethical cremation practices and maintaining public trust. 

Three experts take the stage to share Data-Driven Digital Marketing Fundamentals with advice to build your business. Mitch Smith, Vice President of Sales Operations of eFuneral, examines how and why trust is now built digitally and how to evolve to meet families where they are. Then, Scott Jensen, Co-owner of FirstCall Marketing, will define and explain the three steps that funeral homes owners can take to enable themselves to clearly understand if their marketing is working or not. Finally, Zack Moy, Co-founder/CTO of Afterword, will explore how technology can create exceptional funeral planning experiences and significantly streamline operations to promote productivity without sacrificing quality.  

Succession planning and driving enterprise value should always be in our minds as owners, managers, and key stakeholders in a business. That’s why Jake Johnson, President & CEO of Johnson Consulting, will show you how to Exit with Success: Succession Planning and Your Business with steps to be considered when developing your succession plan and communicating with frontline employees. 

In historic cemeteries, space is limited and options for full-body burials can be hard to find. But with cremation on the rise, there’s a growing opportunity to think more creatively, and sustainably, about the land we have. In her session on Historic Cemeteries Facing the Future, Regina Harrison, Director of Sales of Mount Auburn Cemetery, shares how her historic cemetery team developed innovative cremation options to meet a wide range of family needs and budgets and how you can think creatively with practical strategies for highlighting options for memorialization whether you’re managing historic grounds or guiding families through end-of-life choices. 

In 2022, CANA asked more than 3,000 consumers in the US and Canada about their attitudes, actions and behaviors around cremation. In 2025, with the team at Fortitude Research, CANA conducted a survey of funeral directors and arrangers to better understand how cremation is practiced in the arrangement room. In the closing session, Barbara Kemmis, Executive Director of the Cremation Association of North America and Chance Parker, Chief Research Officer of Fortitude Research + Marketing, presents the Cremation Practitioner Benchmarking Study of practitioners’ currently held beliefs about cremation and cremation product offerings against consumer research. The session offers insights into current practice and provides strategies to address future challenges. 

What could be better than what’s happening on the CANA stage? It might be the backdrop! The Convention hotel is the Arizona Biltmore which offers seven relaxing pools, five appealing shops featuring hand-curated pieces, three unique dining experiences, two picturesque golf courses, and one award-winning spa and salon – plus two iconic bars where you can revel in a tequila sunrise. This year, the CANA Convention schedule is revamped to make the most of this unique resort experience, making time for the cool desert nights and mornings so you’ll enjoy all that Phoenix has to offer. You’re invited to explore, to discover, and to feel inspired by the colors, culture and the captivating energy of the Valley of the Sun. Make your reservation now at canarooms.com. 

CANA’s Annual Convention is the premier event for innovative cremation professionals. That’s why special discounts are available for full convention registration: buy one, get one $200 for funeral professionals from the same company. Teams of 3+ save even more! Plus, the schedule is redesigned to ensure you can explore the Valley of the Sun in the cool mornings and evenings and fully savor the networking and learning in the air-conditioned convention hall during the height of the day. 

Phoenix is the perfect desert oasis for catching rays and chasing dreams. That’s why the Funeral Service Foundation is offering five scholarships to encompass all the benefits of attendance at the 107^th Cremation Innovation Convention. With an award valued at up to $2,200, each scholarship winner will receive full event registration, plus three nights at the luxurious Arizona Biltmore and up to $500 in travel reimbursement. Scholarships are open to anyone in funeral, cremation, and cemetery service who wants to invest in their future success as a cremation professional, including current students. The deadline to apply is May 29, 2025; scholarship winners will be notified mid-June to make their plans to join CANA in Phoenix this August. For more information and to apply, candidates should visit cremationassociation.org/CANAROI.  

Bring your family and enjoy the luxurious Arizona Biltmore, take time to experience the art, culture, food, action, history and beauty of the Phoenix and surrounding desert, and experience CANA’s 107^th Annual Convention. Register now for CANA’s Annual Convention: August 6-8, 2025 – and remember that special rates are available for teams to learn, grow, and implement strategies together. Visit cremationassociation.org/CANA25 to learn more. 

Amato and Thebo Announced as Recipients of Fall 2024 Second-Career Scholarships

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL — January 22, 2025 — The Selected Educational Trust has announced the two latest recipients of its signature Second-Career Scholarship Program. The recipients, Calvin Amato and Dachota Thebo, were awarded scholarships in the amount of $1,500 each. 

Running for 15 years and awarding more than 60 scholarships, this program was created to meet the educational needs of the increasing number of second-career professionals entering independent funeral service seeking positions as funeral directors, embalmers and future leaders. 

Calvin Amato, set to graduate from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in December 2025, comes to the funeral service profession after working more than a decade in hospitality management and quality assurance. “While my previous decade-long career provided me with a wealth of experience and knowledge, there was always a nagging sense of longing for something more,” said Amato. “I believe that my unique blend of experiences and skills paired with my vision will enable me to make a meaningful contribution to the future of funeral service. By staying attuned to the needs of the families I serve, embracing innovation and change, and working collaboratively with my colleagues and mentors, I am confident that I can help shape a more compassionate and responsive profession.”

Dachota Thebo is currently enrolled at Fine Mortuary College in Norwood, MA, where she has maintained perfect attendance and earned a spot on the Dean’s List each term while simultaneously working full-time, parenting three active children, and supporting her active-duty submariner husband on the home front during long deployments, often with no communication.  “Upon graduation, I expect to find employment with an independently-owned funeral home where I can focus on restoration and help provide personalized services to families,” said Thebo. “The personal connection with families is what draws me to the field and solidifies my decision to make this my new career path.”

“Each year, the review committee for this scholarship program pours over upwards of 50 applications, each submission more impressive than the last. Calvin and Dachota impressed us with their passion and commitment to the profession,” said Stefanie Favia, the Trust’s Executive Director. “It is the greatest fulfillment of the Trust’s mission, when we can continue to provide financial support in the form of educational scholarships to such deserving young professionals.” 

For more information about the Selected Educational Trust, visit www.selectedtrust.org or contact Stefanie Favia at stefanie@selectedtrust.org. 

About the Selected Educational Trust

The mission of the Selected Educational Trust (www.selectedtrust.org) is to provide the best educational opportunities for the advancement and support of all who work within the independent funeral service profession. To fulfill this mission, the Trust provides programs which offer scholarships to mortuary science students and funeral service professionals, online education through its Institute for Exceptional Funeral Service powered by National Guardian Life Insurance Company (www.funeral-institute.org) and networking and employment opportunities through its Workforce Development Centers.