FINAL CALL: Enroll in CANA’s Certified Cremation Specialist Program  

Registration Deadline July 1, 2025

WHEELING, IL— Strengthen your own real-world arrangement skills while raising service standards across the profession! Time is running out to register for the Certified Cremation Specialist (CCS) training program from the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). With registration closing July 1, funeral professionals and their employers are urged not to miss the opportunity to join this innovative, cremation-focused certification.   

This unique online program goes beyond compliance and procedures to develop the “power skills” essential for today’s funeral arranger: communication, listening, and ethical decision-making. Whether new to arrangements or experienced and looking to refresh their approach, you’ll gain valuable tools you can use immediately to better serve families and grow your business. 

FLEXIBLE LEARNING. REAL IMPACT. 
You’ll complete eight online courses—seven on-demand and one live session—on your own schedule, with full access through October 1. With content that’s engaging and interactive, including self-reflection exercises and expert insights, this program is built for your busy professional life and offers meaningful professional development to raise your level of service for every client family. 

The CCS program doesn’t just benefit individual professionals—it’s an investment in your entire operation. Graduates walk away with tools to improve communication, connect with families more deeply, and contribute to increased satisfaction and revenue. In fact, many participants cite a noticeable shift in motivation and pride in their work after completing the course. 

Since its launch, 112 professionals have earned their CCS credential, joining a growing group of cremation specialists making a difference in their communities. 

Program Details: 

• Interactive and Practical Curriculum 

• Complete coursework by October 1 

• $615 General, $465 CANA Members 

This is the final opportunity to join the 2025 CCS cohort. With space limited and registration closing soon, funeral professionals and employers are encouraged to act now and claim your place in this transformative training program. 

Become a CANA-Certified Cremation Specialist at cremationassociation.org/CCS 

About CANA 

Founded in 1913, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is an international organization of over 3,700 members, composed of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, industry suppliers, and consultants. CANA members believe that cremation is preparation for memorialization. 

I have to admit the subject kind of crept up on me faster than I thought because I had wanted to do a full-blown article on the value of the Mentor/Mentee relationship prior to this notice. . . .But, like a lot of things in my life – it didn’t get done in time!!  —  Maybe I need a mentor in “time management”!!!!

I wanted the article done because of how much the mentors in my life have meant to me.  As you may know, my father died when I was a teenager and many people in my small hometown wanted to make sure that my life had the appropriate life examples in it to make a difference to me as I grew older.

Yes, I had a local funeral director mentor and a funeral director mentor from my internship. . . .but I also had teacher mentors, church and faith mentors, a banker mentor.. . . .and over time even mentors who gave me confidence to do other things.  In a nutshell, I’ve learned that mentors are incredibly valuable in one’s life.

That brings me to the real subject of this afternoon’s Funeral Director Daily edition.  The Cremation Association of America’s (CANA) Peer Support meeting for tomorrow night is about Mentors and how they can help you. . . .Don’t miss it.

You can participate via Zoom and to learn how to access the meeting you can click here.  The event is scheduled for tomorrow, February 18, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time, 7:00 pm Central Time.

According to CANA’s information on tomorrow night’s meeting it will showcase how  “Mentors provide guidance and support to help the growth and development of their fellow professionals. Jeff Holcomb will bring his decades of commitment to the profession to talk about the power of peer support and mentorship. At Tuesday’s meeting, he’ll focus on the key role of a mentor in providing patience, compassion, and understanding in support of a mentee’s future.”

Related CANA News — CANA’s Cremation Symposium is just around the corner. . . Learn more about it here.

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

I’ve been around long enough to see many people call themselves a “Leader”.  Some of those people are and some aren’t.  I’ve also been around long enough to recognize a “True Leader” when they are in my midst.

And, tomorrow night those of you who tune in for the Cremation Association of North America’s (CANA) monthly Peer Support meeting will get to hear from one of the “True Leaders” of funeral service, Randy Anderson.  Anderson, no relation to me, is a first-generation funeral director, former owner of Radney’s Funeral Home and Langley Funeral Home in Alabama, and past president of the National Funeral Directors Association.

According to the CANA press release, ” (Anderson) has spent his career supporting funeral service and professionals through volunteering and teaching and will continue this mission and inspire others at the peer support meeting.”

In that same press release Anderson gives a little self-advice about leadership to others as he makes this comment, “I have had many opportunities to lead throughout my life and have been taught and supported by many wonderful leaders.  In every leadership position, I have learned that everyone wants to be heard and it’s important to listen. I have learned that everyone does not see every experience the same. Looking back, I would advise myself to try to look more through the eyes of others.” 

For what it is worth, I was ecstatic when I saw that Randy Anderson had signed up to recieve Funeral Director Daily a few years ago.  His leadership at NFDA was truly inspiring and the thought that he would sign up to hear what I had to say is proof that he believes in what he says according to the preceding paragraph.  I eventually got to meet Randy at the Baltimore NFDA convention and even though we didn’t talk for long it was apparent to me that he lives to serve others and to serve funeral service.

To learn more or join the peer support meeting featuring Randy Anderson you can click here.  The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 5pm PT via Zoom link.  No registration is required, simply follow the link to join.

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

We learned earlier this week that registration for the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) 2025 Cremation Symposium is in full swing.  The event returns to Las Vegas and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino from February 26-28, 2025.

It’s an annual Death Care event where participants network with leaders from all walks of funeral service and participate in conversations that can teach fresh and practical ideas sure to make a difference in how your business operates.   In addition to the networking experiences there are up to seven hours of continuing education offered at the event.

In simply glancing at the proposed schedule for the event I can see it covers information in Preneed, Hospice, and Aftercare among the topics presented by some of the best presenters in the field.

To learn more and register for this event click here to access CANA’s online 2025 Cremation Symposium information.

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

It’s coming up on the 3rd Tuesday of the month and that signals that all funeral professionals can log in to learn and participate in the Zoom facilitated Cremation Association of North America’s (CANA) Peer Support event.

I find that tomorrow night’s event happens in a timely fashion as it preceeds the holiday season.  It focuses on “Grief” and supporting our own emotions while we are serving families.

Here’s what CANA says about the upcoming event in their own bulletin:

“As funeral professionals, we know that the common responses to grief are not linear. Grief brings sideways turns, unpredictability and huge obstacles, and no two journeys are the same. But sometimes, we forget to extend ourselves and our colleagues the same grace that we give our grieving families. We don’t have all the answers, especially when we’re facing our own mourning during challenging cases and community turmoil.”

CANA goes on to promote the event with this information:

“November Peer Support facilitator is Kelly Manion, Director of Consumer Marketing at Homesteaders Life Company. Kelly is a grief support specialist with nearly 25 years devoted to purpose-driven work and over a decade of experience in the funeral service profession. She offers valuable resources to those who are grieving. By providing space to talk about our grief, she’ll help us understand the unique ways people grieve and how to maintain our care for ourselves and our colleagues in the midst of it.”

CANA’s Peer Support Network will take place on Tuesday, November 19 at 8:00 pm Eastern Time, 7:00 pm Central Time, and 5:00 pm Pacific Time.  You can register and learn more information about this free event here.

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“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”

Catching Up With CANA’s Newly-Elected Board President Ryan Wiseman

Every board of directors is tasked with providing advice and oversight to an organization to ensure it operates as effectively as possible. Strategic planning, fundraising, and policy making are just a few of the duties entrusted to a board’s officers and members. But according to Ryan Wiseman, the newly-elected president of the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) board of directors, his team has an additional, yet equally important, assignment: Keeping CANA Executive Director Barbara Kemmis busy and challenged. 

“That’s one thing about Barbara,” Wiseman says, with a tone of admiration in his voice, “she wants feedback from us. She wants to be challenged, and she always wants to keep busy and find more ways to keep CANA on the forefront. And she’s doing a great job.”

Although CANA members only recently elected Wiseman to the office of board president, he’s quite familiar with the body’s multi-faceted responsibilities, as he’s served as a board member for more than six years. 

“I’ve been very educated and have learned a lot being on the board for the past six years,” Wiseman says. “Our board is very talented, and we’re very lucky to have some really smart people from all across the United States. Everyone brings a wealth of very diverse knowledge on not just cremation, but what’s going on in their state, so it’s very interesting.”

As co-owner of both Porter Funeral Homes in Kansas City and Lenexa, Kansas, and the Cremation Society of Kansas and Missouri, brings his own unique perspective as second-generation director beginning his third decade in deathcare. His own market closely aligns with the 2023 average U.S. cremation rate of just over 60% that was shared by CANA earlier this year along with other statistics that show that cremation is still growing, but just at a slower rate.

“I know that here in the Midwest we’re seeing cremation rates continue to go up,” he says. “I think that it’s still going to keep going, but just not increasing at the rate that it has been. I think we are right where we want to be, and we’re helping people navigate cremation and educating people. So I think we’re in a good spot.”

Even though more people are learning about cremation, more cremation-related options are being made available, like solidified remains, cremation diamonds, and even cremains-filled fireworks — and CANA strives to stay on top of them all.

“So many things continue to come out,” Wiseman adds. “You think you’ve seen everything and then you come to a CANA convention and there’s a new exhibitor, and you’re saying, ‘Wow, I never thought I would see something like that, it’s very interesting.’”

One rapidly-growing option that CANA’s board and staff are closely following is alkaline hydrolysis, which some states’ lawmakers have tried to fit in under the “cremation” label, even sometimes dubbing the process “water cremation.”

 “CANA has worked on our actual statement of what we believe cremation is and what we believe cremation is not,” Wiseman says,. However, states are legalizing alkaline hydrolysis as cremation, and we follow the law. 

The CANA definition of cremation includes alkaline hydrolysis and has done so for a decade. It is NOR that we have a position statement opposing calling it cremation and providers agree. 

Wiseman is well aware of the various governmental challenges when it comes to deathcare laws and regulations, and he’s proud of the work Kemmis and her team have done in cooperation with various entities. 

“Government agencies and state agencies look to us to help guide them,” Wiseman says “And I love that.”

Over his term as board president, Wiseman hopes even more people learn about CANA and its important role in cremation education and in representing the cremation community. One of his goals for the coming year is to continue building CANA’s membership by promoting the organization and sharing the many perks of involvement, especially with the online Funeral Professionals Peer Support Group seminars and with in-person events like the CANA symposiums and annual convention.

“I think all organizations are seeing numbers drop as far as attendees in-person with the staffing shortages in our industry,” Wiseman says. “So we’re going to keep the word out there about our conventions and symposia and try to get people to come out to events to get educated and hopefully connect with other like-minded people in our industry.”