Agenda

Sunday, April 28

4:30 – 5:15 p.m. 
Registration

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.  
Welcome Event – Soho South - 12 W Liberty St, Savannah, GA 31401 
Enjoy engaging conversation, appetizers and drinks against the backdrop of elegant music performed by a local harp and violin duo.
Sponsored by NGL

Monday, April 29

7:30 – 8:00 a.m.
Registration / Breakfast
Sponsored by NOMIS

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.
Welcome / Opening Remarks

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. 
Leading with Excellence and Compassion
Vera Stewart
Sponsored by Precoa

Vera will take you on a captivating journey, starting from the formative years of child development that hinted at her entrepreneurial spirit. Her life story illustrates how setbacks can morph into significant milestones in one's professional journey, underscoring the pivotal role mentors play as guiding beacons along the way. Leveraging her background in education, Vera seamlessly integrates teaching principles into the logistical management of the company, inspiring and empowering staff to pursue both short-term objectives and long-term aspirations.

9:30 – 9:45 a.m. 
Break

9:45 – 10:15 a.m.
Inspiration Award & Scholarship Recognition
Inspiration Award sponsored by NGL


10:15 – 11:30 a.m.
Master the Art of Advocacy 
Lesley Witter, MPA, CAE

Lesley Witter is a seasoned veteran and professional federal advocate for the best interests of funeral service on Capitol Hill every day. Her presentation will focus on the unique role women play in funeral service, within the national association and within Congress. Lesley’s practical advice and motivational guidance will empower you to not only follow your passions but also to turn them into a force for positive change. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to make a lasting impact on the causes that matter most to you! Lesley will provide examples of how funeral service professionals can become more involved in advocacy and will offer opportunities to learn about federal legislations that impacts funeral service. Attendees will learn the importance of every voice and what each person can do to help their profession.

11:30 – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch
Sponsored by Homesteaders


12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Advocating for Yourself: Assertiveness Training
Dr. Ruth Bedell
Sponsored by Lisa Baue

In this assertiveness training workshop, Dr. Bedell will share best practices for developing and honoring assertiveness skills for women funeral service professionals that they can use professionally and personally. Workshop attendees will have the opportunity to practice their assertiveness training through role playing. Being assertive in any situation does not always guarantee that the individual will get everything they want from the other person. Rather, being assertive allows the individual to stand up for themselves by communicating clearly, directly, and confidently what they need and want from the other person, while respecting that person’s needs, wants, and rights. Being assertive allows the individual to be open to negotiation.

1:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Break

1:45 – 3:45 p.m.
Recognizing and Responding to Suicide Risk
Dr. Sara Murphy
Sponsored by Homesteaders/For Grief

In recent years, phrases such as “compassion fatigue,” “burnout,” work-life balance,” and “self-care” have been used increasingly, both within the public at large and amongst funeral service professionals. However, these concepts are often misunderstood or misappropriated; moreover, little to no public discussion or education has specifically addressed the risk of suicide for professionals working within the deathcare professions. There may be no cause of death more silenced, stigmatized, and misunderstood than a death of suicide. Particularly within the deathcare professions, suicidality is often hidden in plain sight within both private and business spaces. Given the unique nature of the high-stress work undertaken by deathcare professionals as well as the historic silence around suicide within the profession, it is crucial that professionals are able to both give and receive the supports they are and their colleagues need to recognize suicide risk and employ prevention and intervention practices within their business and professional communities.

3:45 – 4:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks

Tuesday, April 30

7:30 – 8:00 a.m.
Breakfast
Sponsored by SCI

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Your Move: A Workshop on Consumer Change and How it Will Transform Funeral Planning and Purchasing
Kelly Kohut and Jenny McClanahan

In the next 10 years, massive demographic shifts will entirely change the makeup of some communities, meaning a growing number of families may not know their local funeral homes. Not only that, but Gen X consumers will begin aging into the profession’s target market with an entirely new and much savvier set of behaviors and preferences. In this workshop, discover the most effective ways to reach families with the right messages at the right times so that your firm always stays at the forefront of change.

9:00 – 9:10 a.m.
Break

9:10 – 10:00 a.m.
Breakout Session A: Awakening Your Colleagues, Community and Cemetery to the Beauty of Green Burial
Amy Cunningham
Sponsored by Kelco

Green burials are a great way to showcase our love of old-fashioned funeral ceremonies and give modern families the physical funeral involvement they’re craving. Learn how to add natural burial to your firm’s menu of funeral options with earth-friendly New York funeral director Amy Cunningham. She’ll share how to motivate local cemeteries, educate suppliers, inspire your team and local community, and gain terrific publicity for your firm. As laws defining disposition change, Baby Boom families are entering the arrangements conference with new expectations and questions. Our job is to stay nimble, calm, and up on the latest trends. If more of your families are requesting chemical-free preparation, hands-on participation, earth-friendly caskets, shrouds, and urns, this is the workshop for you.

Breakout Session B: Funeral Service: The Next Ten Years of Change
Nelson Thulin

Explore the evolving landscape of funeral services over the next decade as organic growth in death rates, coupled with a rising demand for authentic leadership, reshapes the industry. With a simultaneous decline in revenue for traditional funeral services, the future promises a profound transformation. Embrace this change as an opportunity for those who are prepared to navigate and innovate within the shifting dynamics of the funeral service sector. The coming years will undoubtedly bring new challenges, but they also present a chance for forward-thinking individuals to make a meaningful impact.

Breakout Session C: It Means More Than You Know, Giving the Family A Last Chance to Say Goodbye
Autumn Cooper

In this presentation we will explore what embalmers must deal with when faced with responding to major disasters. Since our time is really limited, we will talk briefly about the agencies involved, the process involved, and the stresses that arise in such events. Thereafter, we will explore what families who wish to view their loved ones following a traumatic event must realistically anticipate upfront and to help the embalmer better understand how to best cover burns and deep contusions to the face, as well as discolorations. Airbrushing, waxing techniques, and restoration of missing tissues will be discussed, as well as odor-eliminating techniques. Despite the fact that the death is the result of a traumatic event, the family needs to have closure and to be able to see their loved one if a traditional open-casketed visitation is to be held or whether an intimate time where the family can hold the hand of the deceased, or at a minimum, see the shape of their body.

10:00 – 10:10 a.m.
Break

10:10 – 11:00 a.m.
Breakout Session A: Awakening Your Colleagues, Community and Cemetery to the Beauty of Green Burial
Amy Cunningham
Sponsored by Kelco

Green burials are a great way to showcase our love of old-fashioned funeral ceremonies and give modern families the physical funeral involvement they’re craving. Learn how to add natural burial to your firm’s menu of funeral options with earth-friendly New York funeral director Amy Cunningham. She’ll share how to motivate local cemeteries, educate suppliers, inspire your team and local community, and gain terrific publicity for your firm. As laws defining disposition change, Baby Boom families are entering the arrangements conference with new expectations and questions. Our job is to stay nimble, calm, and up on the latest trends. If more of your families are requesting chemical-free preparation, hands-on participation, earth-friendly caskets, shrouds, and urns, this is the workshop for you.

Breakout Session B: Funeral Service: The Next Ten Years of Change
Nelson Thulin

Explore the evolving landscape of funeral services over the next decade as organic growth in death rates, coupled with a rising demand for authentic leadership, reshapes the industry. With a simultaneous decline in revenue for traditional funeral services, the future promises a profound transformation. Embrace this change as an opportunity for those who are prepared to navigate and innovate within the shifting dynamics of the funeral service sector. The coming years will undoubtedly bring new challenges, but they also present a chance for forward-thinking individuals to make a meaningful impact.

Breakout Session C: It Means More Than You Know, Giving the Family A Last Chance to Say Goodbye
Autumn Cooper

In this presentation we will explore what embalmers must deal with when faced with responding to major disasters. Since our time is really limited, we will talk briefly about the agencies involved, the process involved, and the stresses that arise in such events. Thereafter, we will explore what families who wish to view their loved ones following a traumatic event must realistically anticipate upfront and to help the embalmer better understand how to best cover burns and deep contusions to the face, as well as discolorations. Airbrushing, waxing techniques, and restoration of missing tissues will be discussed, as well as odor-eliminating techniques. Despite the fact that the death is the result of a traumatic event, the family needs to have closure and to be able to see their loved one if a traditional open-casketed visitation is to be held or whether an intimate time where the family can hold the hand of the deceased, or at a minimum, see the shape of their body.

11:00 – 12:00 p.m.
Seize Your Life: A Vision-Driven Life
Jasmine Brett Stringer
Sponsored by Carriage

Tired of seeing others advance while you stay in the same rut? The truth is, personal success only comes when we start to bet on ourselves. In this inspirational program, Jasmine guides audiences on the journey to carpe diem by leading a vision-driving life. She identified how to unlock the barriers that keep us from fulfilling the life we are intended to have while establishing a personalized vision to take life to the next level.

12:00 – 12:15 p.m.
Wrap-up / Closing Remarks