NFDA Meet the Mentors Returns in 2026 to Inspire and Prepare the Profession’s Rising Leaders

NFDA is now accepting entries for its transformational Meet the Mentors program.

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is pleased to announce that the 2026 Meet the Mentors program will take place April 14-16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. This signature NFDA experience, which is held in conjunction with NFDA’s annual Advocacy Summit, offers early-career funeral professionals an unparalleled opportunity to learn directly from celebrated leaders and engage in advocacy on behalf of the funeral service profession. 

Since its debut in 2011, Meet the Mentors has been fully funded and supported by the Funeral Service Foundation, whose steadfast commitment has enabled more than a decade of transformative mentorship, learning and leadership development. The Funeral Service Foundation covers the registration fees for Meet the Mentors and the Advocacy Summit, three nights of lodging, and a $500 travel reimbursement stipend for selected participants. This generous support ensures the program remains accessible to the profession’s next generation of leaders. 

“For 15 years, Meet the Mentors has offered emerging funeral service professionals a rare opportunity to learn directly from leaders who generously share their experience, wisdom and perspective,” said Sara Moss, MS, FT, LFD, NFDA Associate Director of Education. “This program consistently helps participants build confidence, strengthen their skills and fosters a sense of purpose that supports them throughout their careers.” 

The 2026 Meet the Mentors program will bring together 25 NFDA-member participants – funeral directors and embalmers aged 40 and under, or within their first five years of licensure in the profession – to learn from a distinguished group of mentors who are recognized for their leadership, dedication and impact on the funeral service profession. NFDA is finalizing this year’s mentor panel and will announce the selected mentors very soon.

As in past years, participants can expect to learn from accomplished professionals representing a range of backgrounds, specialties and experiences. These mentors will share candid insights about career development, leadership and the evolving landscape of funeral service, offering invaluable guidance to those at the beginning of their professional journeys. Participants have high praise for NFDA’s Meet the Mentors program.

“NFDA’s Meet the Mentors Program was an incredible experience,” said one 2025 participant. “I gained valuable knowledge and insights that I will be able to use throughout my career. I would highly recommend the program to all newly licensed professionals.” 

In addition to presentations by the mentors, small-group roundtable discussions will enable participants to ask questions, explore career pathways and receive actionable advice they can take home immediately. Many mentees cite these conversations as some of the most meaningful moments of their professional lives. 

One 2025 participant noted, “The roundtables were my favorite part of this experience. It was really great to sit down and ask questions [of] each presenter and be able to have them share their experience on a more personal level.” 

Advocacy in Action 

An exciting component of Meet the Mentors is the opportunity to participate in the 2026 NFDA Advocacy Summit. Participants will join experienced colleagues for a full day on Capitol Hill, meeting with members of Congress to discuss federal issues impacting funeral service. By sharing their stories during these meetings, mentees will help federal legislators understand how their decisions affect, not just funeral professionals, but also grieving families. 

“I enjoyed the Congressional meetings so much and am looking forward to attending the Advocacy Summit again,” a 2025 mentee noted. “I was surprised how much I truly enjoyed doing this!” 

How to Apply 

Prospective participants can enter for their chance to participate in the 2026 Meet the Mentors through 11:59 p.m. CT on January 12, 2026. Thanks to the exclusive support of the Funeral Service Foundation, the program award covers registration fees for the Meet the Mentors program and Advocacy Summit, three nights of lodging and a $500 travel reimbursement stipend. Eligible applicants must be licensed funeral directors or embalmers who are NFDA members and either 40 years old or younger, or within their first five years of licensure in the funeral service profession. For complete details and to apply, visit NFDA.org/Mentors.

For questions, call NFDA at 262-789-1880. Selected participants will be announced in February 2026. NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world.

NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org. 

Who’s Watching Over Deathcare Workers? Meet the Patron Saints of the Profession

Every job has its heroes. Doctors look up to Hippocrates, firefighters honor St. Florian, and bakers have St. Honoré keeping watch. But did you know that deathcare professionals also have saints watching your backs?

The concept of patron saints — heavenly helpers who protect and work alongside certain individuals, groups, or members of a certain profession — has been a Catholic tradition for centuries. When it comes to occupations, the actions or missions of a saint often guide who is chosen to be their patron. 

Considering the emotional, physical, and sometimes spiritual weight of deathcare, it makes sense that funeral directors, cemeterians, and crematory operators would have their own set of protectors. If you haven’t selected your own patron saint of deathcare, luckily, you have five to choose from. Some are obvious choices, others a little surprising, but all carry lessons that resonate with anyone who works in deathcare today. 

The First Undertaker: St. Joseph of Arimathea

If funeral directors had a Hall of Fame, St. Joseph of Arimathea would be front and center. His claim to fame? He’s the guy who, according to the Gospels, bravely went to Pilate after the crucifixion and asked for Jesus’s body. He wrapped it in linen, placed it in his own new tomb, and made sure Christ was buried with dignity.

That’s why Joseph is often called the “first undertaker.” He didn’t have a hearse, embalming machine, or casket showroom—but he did have courage and compassion, two traits that remain at the core of the profession. For funeral directors today, he’s the ultimate role model: someone who stepped in during a moment of crisis to make sure the body was treated with honor.

St. Peter: Keeper of the Keys

We usually think of St. Peter as the gatekeeper of heaven, but in some traditions, deathcare workers have looked to him, too. After all, while funeral professionals prepare the body for burial here on Earth, Peter is the one said to swing open the pearly gates. It’s a fitting partnership—one handling the earthly passage, the other handling the eternal.

The Good Thief: St. Dismas

Here’s one you might not expect: St. Dismas, better known as the “Good Thief” who was crucified next to Jesus. In medieval times, burial guilds often prayed to Dismas when they laid to rest the poor, the forgotten, or those who had no family to claim them.

For modern funeral directors, especially those who take on county or pauper cases or care for the growing number of unclaimed, Dismas is a reminder that every life has value. Even in tough circumstances, compassion and dignity matter.

St. Anthony and St. Roch: Helpers in Hard Times

Two other saints sometimes get an honorary mention in the funeral world:

• St. Anthony of Padua, famous for helping people find lost things, was also invoked for the souls of the dead. Funeral guilds used to ask for his help in guiding souls to their final resting place.
• St. Roch, a patron saint of plague victims, became a hero to undertakers during outbreaks. When others fled, undertakers stayed behind, burying the dead at great personal risk. Roch’s story of self-sacrifice resonated with those who saw their work as both dangerous and holy.

Why It Matters Today

Now, most funeral homes don’t keep a shrine to St. Joseph of Arimathea in the prep room. But there’s something powerful about knowing that this profession has sacred roots that go back thousands of years.

The saints tied to deathcare represent courage, guardianship, compassion, remembrance, and sacrifice—the same values funeral directors live out every day. When you’re arranging a service for a grieving family, or making sure a person no one else claimed still gets a proper burial, you’re carrying on the spirit of Joseph, Peter, Dismas, Anthony, and Roch.

In other words, you’re part of a much bigger story. Undertakers, morticians, and funeral directors have always been more than just practical problem-solvers—they’ve been guardians of dignity, guides through grief, and keepers of community memory. And whether or not you believe in saints, it’s hard not to feel a little pride in knowing your profession has heavenly company.

Trailblazers in Funeral Service: Meet the 2025 NFDA Innovation Award Finalists

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) proudly announces the finalists for the prestigious 2025 NFDA Innovation Award: Afterword, Healing Path Cemetery and Passare. These groundbreaking products and services exemplify forward-thinking solutions that are shaping the future of funeral service. The winner will be revealed on October 27 during the Opening General Session of the 2025 NFDA International Convention & Expo in Chicago, Illinois. The Innovation Award is sponsored by ASD – Answering Service for Directors. 

Since its inception in 2009, the NFDA Innovation Award has recognized funeral service suppliers and vendors whose creativity, ingenuity and excellence drive meaningful change in the profession. This year’s finalists continue that tradition, offering practical, compassionate and tech-enabled solutions that enhance both the funeral professional and family experience. The finalists for the 2025 NFDA Innovation Award (in alphabetical order) are: 

Afterword – Grace, The First AI Assistant for Funeral Homes
Grace is the first AI assistant purpose-built for funeral professionals, designed to ease the administrative burden and allow directors to focus on caring for families. Integrated within Afterword’s software platform, Grace automates routine tasks such as building case files, sending reminders and managing family communications. From converting a photo of a handwritten worksheet into a complete digital case file, to generating personalized follow-up emails, task lists and memorial date reminders, Grace works behind the scenes to ensure a seamless experience for both staff and families. What sets Grace apart is her ability to adapt to each funeral home’s unique processes, having been trained directly from the workflows of real directors. She’s not a generic chatbot; she’s a customized, intuitive assistant who brings compassion, consistency and efficiency to every case.

Healing Path Cemetery, a Grief-Focused Engagement System for Cemeteries
Healing Path Cemetery is an innovative, multi-dimensional solution helping cemeteries remain relevant in a changing cultural landscape. With permanent memorialization on the decline, Healing Path Cemetery reconnects local families to cemeteries by blending grief support, interactive rituals and lead generation. The system includes on-site healing stations designed around nine evidence-based grief rituals; a cemetery-branded mobile app offering videos, virtual rituals like “Letters to Heaven” and digital candle lighting; and a library of coordinated social media content that promotes healing and education. With features like narrated blessings from Peabody Award-winner Bill Kurtis and seamless integration of grief psychology with cemetery marketing, Healing Path is a pioneering platform that transforms cemeteries into places of ongoing remembrance, relevance and emotional connection.

Passare – AI Scanner
Passare’s AI Scanner revolutionizes the way funeral professionals handle handwritten documents by eliminating the need for manual data entry. This powerful, mobile-first tool uses advanced handwriting recognition technology to scan handwritten vitals forms and automatically populate the corresponding digital fields in Passare’s case management system. Designed to accommodate directors who prefer pen and paper during family meetings, the feature reduces the risk of transcription errors and saves valuable time. Built and trained using hundreds of handwriting samples, the scanner delivers high accuracy and requires no training — just scan, sync and send. As the first of its kind in funeral service, the AI Scanner sets a new standard for efficiency and innovation, enabling funeral professionals to spend less time on paperwork and more time supporting families. 

Funeral service suppliers were invited to submit products or services that became commercially available on or after January 1, 2024, for consideration in this year’s competition. A distinguished panel of judges evaluated each submission on originality, quality and design, ultimately selecting the finalists that exemplify innovation and impact in funeral service. 

Finalists, along with more than 20 additional entrants, will be showcased in the Expo Hall during the 2025 NFDA International Convention & Expo, taking place October 26–29 in Chicago. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore these trailblazing products and meet the companies behind them. More information is available at NFDA.org/InnovationAwards and NFDA.org/Convention, respectively. 

NFDA thanks ASD – Answering Service for Directors for its continued support of the Innovation Award. The association also extends its appreciation to the 2025 Innovation Award judges:

• Matthew Bailey, Bailey Family Funeral Homes, Wallingford, Connecticut
• Christopher Costello, Mothe Funeral Homes, New Orleans, Louisiana
• David Hernandez, Jersey Memorial Group, Old Bridge, New Jersey
• Leili McMurrough, Worsham College of Mortuary Science, Libertyville, Illinois
• Michael Burns, Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Timothy McLoone, William R. May Funeral Home Inc., New Hope, Pennsylvania
• Welton Hong, Ring Ring Marketing, Las Vegas, Nevada

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association representing 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org. 

Who Will Lead NFDA? Meet the 2025 NFDA Election Candidates 

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Leadership Development Committee has announced the slate of qualified candidates for open positions on the NFDA Board of Directors. 

Officer Candidates

Qualified NFDA members will elect officers via an electronic ballot from June 12-25, 2025. Those elected will serve a one-year term beginning after the 2025 NFDA International Convention & Expo. The individual elected as president-elect will automatically assume the role of president following the 2026 NFDA Convention. The candidates for officer positions are:

• President-elect:
  • Chris E. Christian, CFSP, CCO – Christian-Sells Funeral Home, Rogersville, Tennessee
• Treasurer:  
  • Steven Spann, CFSP, CCO – Spann Funeral Home, Dickson, Tennessee
• Secretary:  
  • Homer E. Elwood Jr., CFSP, CCO – Gray Funeral Home Inc., Clinton, South Carolina
  • Ellen Wynn McBrayer, CFSP, CPC, CCO – Jones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory, Villa Rica, Georgia 

At-Large Representative Candidates 

During the NFDA Leadership Conference, August 3-6 in Napa, California, state association representatives will elect two at-large representatives to the Board of Directors. Each elected representative will serve a two-year term beginning after the 2025 NFDA Convention. State association representatives are the voting representatives from each state who cast the votes on behalf of their state for the at-large representatives on the NFDA Board of Directors. The candidates for at-large representative positions are:  

• Carlos D. Black – Small’s Mortuary and Cremation Services, Mobile, Alabama
• Christopher Costello – Mothe Funeral Homes LLC, New Orleans, Louisiana

Get to Know the Candidates 

NFDA members are encouraged to visit NFDA.org/Elections to view candidate profiles and stay up to date on election details. To ensure all eligible members receive voting credentials and important election communications, NFDA must have accurate contact information for all licensed funeral directors at member firms, including:

• The name and unique email address of the primary contact (must be a licensed funeral director)
• The names and unique email addresses of all licensed funeral directors at the firm

 Members can verify or update their contact details by:

• Calling their NFDA Member Services Representative at 800-228-6332
• Updating their profile at NFDA.org/My-Profile

 NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit NFDA.org.

Meet the Fantastic and Funny Family Behind Hilton Funeral Supply 

Do you remember your first deathcare convention? Tom Patten sure does. As a young man who had heard only cautionary tales about these gatherings from his more experienced colleagues, Patten approached his first Hilton Funeral Supply convention booth with a little trepidation … and some edgy swag.

Patten very quickly learned, however, when one of his company’s most respected customers stopped at his booth, that funeral directors actually do possess a sense of humor. 

“He was a very tough guy; I really liked him,” Patten says. “He came over, picked up the mug, and roared. Then he took that mug all around the convention floor, saying, ‘Go over and see Patten! Get this mug!’ And it became the hit of the show.”

With that, Tom Patten and Hilton Funeral Supply became a must-visit booth at deathcare conventions, with directors actually looking forward to seeing what “twisted, contorted, humorous funeral jokes” Patten would share on a mug, a lunch cooler bag, or even a casket-shaped squeezy stress ball.

“I’ve been in the business for 32 years at Hilton,” Patten says, “And I used to go to these conventions thinking, ‘How can I go in and just have fun?’ I wanted to make a mark. We’re not a tiny company, but we were not on the national floor. But it’s funny how that got a groundswell by just handing out that mug. And then conversations began, and relationships followed.”

Patten’s actual grandfather probably wasn’t that terrifying at the wheel. As a matter of fact, he managed to run a thriving monument business, Patten Monument Company, for decades and successfully raise nine children. Patten’s father followed his dad into the funeral field, opening a cremation urn company in the 1980s, and brought his son, Tom, into the fold in 1989.

“I grew up around tombstones and funeral service, so I decided to try to help him,” says Patten, recalling how he’d travel through Michigan and Indiana knocking on the doors of funeral homes to sell the urns. It was during one of these visits that he learned of an opportunity that would eventually change his life.

“One of my funeral director friends introduced me to the owner of a local funeral supply company,” Patten recalls.

That funeral supply business was owned by Bruce Elder, an icon in the industry and an incredible, gracious man who quickly became Patten’s mentor and dear friend. Elder took Patten under his wing, introducing him to clients and helping to establish the company we now know as Hilton Funeral Supply.

Like his father and grandfather before him, Tom Patten leads a team that includes several members of his immediate family, in addition to a close-knit cohort of dedicated sales and support professionals. Patten’s brother Tim Patten has been an integral part of the firm from early on, and Patten’s son Conner — a recent college graduate and the fourth generation to work in the deathcare field — joined the Hilton Funeral Supply family on a full-time basis two years ago after spending summers pitching in part-time. All in all, the Patten family has been serving the needs of deathcare professionals and families for more than 107 years.

Although Hilton Funeral Supply may not have been well-known on the national level during those early years on the deathcare convention circuit, that’s certainly no longer the case — and it’s not all due to Patten’s sharp-witted mugs.

Tom Patten continued to cultivate the valued relationships established in the early years even as he forged new ones, eventually expanding the company’s footprint beyond its initial two states with the help of licensed funeral director Jason Weir, who  joined the company in 2011 as vice president. While Tim Patten, Weir, and now, young Conner Patten still love face-to-face visits with Hilton’s customers, the company also offers the convenience of interacting through its robust website and signature catalogs. 

Even as its digital presence grows, Hilton Funeral Supply maintains its trusted, authentic, and reassuring family atmosphere. Every member of the team, from the newest employee to business manager Suzanne Preuss, who has been with the company from the beginning, contributes to that culture.

“Family-owned is a family connection in and throughout,” Patten says. “I love my people. I have great staff. I feel like people work with me. I don’t feel like they ever work for me. I’ve always felt that way. That’s what family-owned means to me.”

Tom Patten is looking forward to seeing what this fourth generation of family holds for the future of Hilton Funeral Supply. 

“I hope I live long enough that I won’t recognize Hilton Funeral Supply,” he says. “Someday someone will come in here and kick me out of my office and say, ‘Hey, just go home, would you? You have to be willing to move over, make room, let it breathe. But I’m actually excited to see where it goes.”

Twenty-five Funeral Professionals Selected for Prestigious NFDA Meet the Mentors Program

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is proud to announce the 25 funeral professionals selected to participate in the 2025 Meet the Mentors program. This prestigious event, made possible through the generous support of the Funeral Service Foundation, will take place April 8-10, 2025, in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the NFDA Advocacy Summit. 

Since its inception in 2011, Meet the Mentors has provided up-and-coming funeral service professionals with invaluable opportunities to learn from some of the most accomplished leaders in the profession. This year’s event will be particularly impactful, combining mentorship with real-world advocacy on Capitol Hill. 

“Meet the Mentors is a transformative experience for funeral service professionals early in their careers,” said Sara Moss, MS, FT, LFD, NFDA associate director of Education. “Bringing this program to Washington, D.C., allows our mentees to not only gain career-changing insights from our distinguished mentors but also to develop the advocacy skills necessary to shape the future of funeral service.” 

Congratulations to the 2025 Meet the Mentors Participants 

The following individuals have been selected for this year’s program:

• Craig L. Adams Jr. – Vaughn C. Greene Funeral Service, Baltimore, Maryland
• Christopher Boggs – MacNabb Funeral Home, Catonsville, Maryland
• Makenzie Briggs – Roeder Mortuaries, Omaha, Nebraska
• Jessica Cespedes – Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania
• Simone Coplin – Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home, Fargo, North Dakota
• Lydia D’Atri – Thomas McAfee Funeral Home Greenville, South Carolina
• Peyton Davis – Smith Family Funeral Homes – Little Rock Chapel, Little Rock, Arkansas
• Sarah Beth Drake – Cantlon Otterness & Viets Funeral Home, Buffalo, Missouri
• Amanda Earl – Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Manchester, New Hampshire
• Gregory Fountain – Newcomer Funeral Service Group, Orlando, Florida
• Jayme Fuscaldo – Jersey Memorial Group, Old Bridge, New Jersey
• Hanna McClellan – Howe-Peterson Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Taylor, Michigan
• Haisten Murphree – Glover Funeral Home, Dothan, Alabama
• Shelby Ogozaly – Perman Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• David Pryor – Piper Funeral Home, St. Marys, Kansas
• Stephen Rios – Altmeyer Funeral Home, Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Aiyanna Rivera – Pollock-Randall Funeral Home, Port Huron, Michigan
• Jason Sertich – Wenig Funeral Homes, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin
• Tina Spedden – Lee Funeral Home, Owings, Maryland
• Loran Spence – Carmon Community Funeral Homes, Windsor, Connecticut
• Jarell Springfield – Calumet Park Funeral Chapel, Merrillville, Indiana
• Nicholas Todd – Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Amy Trigoura – Fred Hunter’s, Funeral Home, Crematory & Cemetery, Davie, Florida
• Anna Urciuoli – Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, Greenwich, Connecticut
• Gary T. Whitley Jr. – Nelms Memorial Funeral Home, Huntsville, Alabama 

An Unparalleled Mentorship and Advocacy Experience The 2025 Meet the Mentors program will feature three renowned funeral service leaders, who will share insights, career guidance and expertise with the mentees through interactive roundtable discussions and networking opportunities:

• Dr. Camelia Clarke – Co-owner of Paradise Memorial Funeral & Cremation Services and Leon L. Williamson Funeral Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A past president of the Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association, she is also an NFDA Spokesperson Team member and actively engaged in her local community.
• Lori Sheeler – General Manager of Wilson-St. Pierre Funeral Service & Crematory in Greenwood, Indiana. She has served in key leadership roles, including Vice Chair of the Indiana Funeral Education Foundation and District 7 Director for the Indiana Funeral Directors Association.
• Tim Schramm – Owner and CEO of Howe-Peterson Funeral Homes in Michigan. He is a recognized expert in funeral service management and mass fatality response, currently leading the Michigan Mortuary Response Team (MI-MORT) and serving on the Funeral Service Foundation’s Board of Trustees. 

Additionally, mentees will participate in NFDA’s Advocacy Summit, where they will meet with Members of Congress to discuss key issues affecting funeral service professionals and the families they serve. This hands-on experience will provide mentees with an inside look at the legislative process and the critical role advocacy plays in shaping the future of the profession. 

For more information about Meet the Mentors, visit NFDA.org/Mentors or contact NFDA at (800) 228-6332. NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world.

NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.

2025 NFDA Meet the Mentors Program: Exclusive Opportunity for Funeral Professionals to Connect, Learn and Advocate in Washington, D.C.

Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is proud to announce that its highly-praised Meet the Mentors program will take place from April 8-10, 2025, in Washington, D.C. This transformative event, held in conjunction with NFDA’s annual Advocacy Summit, offers a unique opportunity for emerging funeral service professionals to engage with leaders and experience the power of advocacy firsthand. 

Since its launch in 2011, and thanks to the generous support of the Funeral Service Foundation, Meet the Mentors has provided invaluable insights and connections for hundreds of funeral professionals. This year’s program promises to be particularly impactful, combining intimate mentorship sessions with real-world advocacy training on Capitol Hill. 

“We are thrilled to host Meet the Mentors in Washington, D.C., again this year,” said Sara Moss, MS, CT, LFD, NFDA Associate Director of Education. “This setting not only offers participants the chance to learn from top funeral service leaders but also equips them with the skills and experience to advocate for our profession at the highest levels of government.” 

An Exceptional Mentorship Experience 

The 2025 program will bring together 25 participants – funeral professionals aged 40 and under, or those licensed within the past five years – to learn from three distinguished mentors who have made significant contributions to the funeral service profession:

• Dr. Camelia Clarke: Co-owner of Paradise Memorial Funeral and Cremation Services and Leon L. Williamson Funeral Chapel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Clarke brings over two decades of experience. A past president of the Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association, she is also an active member of the NFDA Spokesperson Team and deeply involved in her local community.
• Lori Sheeler: As General Manager of St. Pierre Funeral Services in Indianapolis, Indiana, Sheeler has served in key leadership roles, including Vice Chairman of the Indiana Funeral Education Foundation and District 7 Director for the Indiana Funeral Directors Association. Her dedication to mentorship and service extends beyond the funeral profession, reflecting her passion for community support and education.
• Tim Schramm: Owner and CEO of Howe-Peterson Funeral Homes in Michigan, Schramm’s expertise spans funeral service management and mass fatality response. He currently leads the Michigan Mortuary Response Team (MI-MORT) and serves on the Funeral Service Foundation’s Board of Trustees. His commitment to excellence and innovation in funeral service makes him a valuable resource for emerging professionals.

Throughout the program, participants will engage in dynamic roundtable discussions, gaining career insights and personal advice from these leaders in the funeral service profession. Beyond mentorship, attendees will build lasting connections with their peers, creating a support network that will benefit their careers for years to come. 

A Seat at the Table: Advocacy in Action 

One of the most distinctive aspects of the 2025 program is its focus on advocacy. Participants will join seasoned professionals at the NFDA Advocacy Summit, spending a day on Capitol Hill meeting with Members of Congress. This hands-on experience offers a rare opportunity to discuss how federal policies impact funeral service professionals’ ability to serve families and operate their businesses. 

“Advocacy is a crucial skill for any funeral service professional,” said Moss. “By participating in these meetings with members of Congress, mentees will not only learn about the legislative process but also see the real-world impact of their voices in shaping policies that affect our profession.” 

Previous Meet the Mentors participants offer consistently high praise for the program. A 2024 mentee said, “My favorite part of this program was being able to sit down with the mentors and talk with them … I feel that the information they gave to us will be very valuable and I will be able to incorporate it into my everyday work life to make myself a better funeral director.” 

Another noted, “NFDA’s Meet the Mentors Program was an incredible experience! I gained valuable knowledge and insight that I will be able to use throughout my career. I would highly recommend the program to all newly licensed professionals.” 

How to Apply 

Applications for the 2025 Meet the Mentors program are now open. Interested NFDA members must be licensed NFDA-member funeral directors or embalmers, aged 40 or under, or within their first five years in the profession. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. CST on January 17, 2025. 

Selected participants will be announced in February. Thanks to the Funeral Service Foundation’s support, the program covers registration fees, lodging, and select meals; attendees are only responsible for their transportation to Washington, D.C. 

For complete details and to apply, visit NFDA.org/Mentors. For questions, contact NFDA at (800) 228-6332. 

NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org. 

Meet the Funeral Elf | FFFW 216

DISCLAIMER: None of the F’s in FFFW stand for “facts.” Enjoy the jokes and satire.

Is it just me or is this season FLYING by? Well, maybe thats a good thing, cause time goes by when you’re having fun. Personally I think time goes by when I hit my snooze. It really feels as if I close my eyes for 5 seconds and then the alarm goes off again.

So, maybe time do be going by all the time.

Days until Christmas: 12
Days until New Years: 19
Days until Chiefs win the Big Game: 58

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Bob the North Pole Funeral Director Elf: “It Ain’t All Jingle Bells, Kid”

In the land of constant cheer, there’s one elf whose job keeps him grounded—six feet under, to be exact. Meet Bob, the North Pole’s Funeral Director Elf. While his fellow elves are decking halls and building bikes, Bob’s handling the “final sendoff department.”

“Listen,” Bob says, leaning against his candy cane-striped hearse, “it ain’t all jingle bells and cocoa up here. Sometimes a reindeer eats the wrong berries, or Frosty gets a little too close to the fireplace. Someone’s gotta handle the messy stuff, ya know?”

Bob specializes in festive funerals, offering everything from “Candy Cane Caskets” to his signature “12 Days of Grieving Package.” But his real expertise? Handling unique North Pole clientele.

“Reindeer funerals? Forget about it. Big turnout, antlers everywhere, everyone’s bawlin’. Snowmen, though? Whole different vibe. You’re basically doin’ a puddle cleanup with a eulogy. But hey, I give ‘em both the respect they deserve. I’m a professional!”

While some elves think Bob’s work is a bit of a buzzkill, he brushes it off. “Kid, I ain’t here to make friends. I’m here to make sure when you go, you go out classy—with a little mistletoe flair.”

So, next time you’re thinking about the North Pole, remember Bob. He may not bring the cheer, but he sure knows how to bring the closure. 🎄

Trivia

Which Christmas carol is most commonly played at funeral services during the holiday season?

Select the correct answer, and you’ll get a GIF of an otter. Select the wrong one, and you’ll get a GIF of someone hurting themselves.

Answer Choices:
A) Silent Night
B) Ave Maria
C) O Holy Night

You Otter Be Proud

Here’s some good news going on in the profession.

1. Funeral home, Detroit deli helping after boy killed in crash
2. Old Lick Cemetery in Roanoke cleaned, repaired with help of national expert
3. Fifth-generation funeral director Jeff Monreal helps families grieve, celebrate loved ones