NFDA Launches 'Meet the Mentors' Program for Young Funeral Professionals
Participation in this exclusive program is limited; participants will be selected during a random drawing
Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) is giving young funeral professionals a chance to learn from four of the profession’s top experts and to network with like-minded peers during its inaugural Meet the Mentors program, being held in cooperation with the Funeral Service Foundation (FSF). The program will take place September 13 at the Faculty Library on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass.
During Meet the Mentors, 50 licensed funeral directors and embalmers under the age of 40 will have an opportunity to meet, learn from and talk with four of the profession’s leading funeral directors: John Carmon, CFSP, of Carmon Community Funeral Homes in Windsor, Conn.; Diana Kurz, CFSP, of Newington Memorial Funeral Home in Newington, Conn.; Thomas Lynch of Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors in Milford, Mich.; and William McQueen, CFSP, former owner of Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home in St. Petersburg, Fla.
During the program, each mentor will give a presentation related to his or her area of expertise to the entire group. Carmon will share information about business operations, Kurz will speak about community relations, Lynch will address effectively communicating the value of funerals and McQueen will tackle cremation.
After the presentations, participants will break into groups and engage in round table discussions on the topical areas with each mentor. All participants will have a chance to personally interact with each mentor.
There is no cost to attend the program; the 50 individuals selected to attend only need pay for their transportation to the program. The cost of the registration fee, access to the four mentors, one night of lodging, a reception the night before the program and continental breakfast and lunch the day of the program – a $550 value – has been covered by a generous donations from FSF.
The names of the 50 participants will be drawn, at random, from among all who enter via the NFDA website, www.nfda.org/mentors. Entries will be accepted through midnight July 10, 2011. In order to be eligible to attend, entrants must be an NFDA member in good standing, a licensed funeral director and/or embalmer and under 40 years of age.
The names of the 50 participants will be drawn the week of July 18 from among all entries received. Each day, Monday through Friday, a young professional from NFDA’s staff will draw 10 names. The drawings will be available for viewing on NFDA’s website, social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) and YouTube channel at 2 p.m. CST each day.
Complete details about the NFDA Meet the Mentors program can be obtained by visiting www.nfda.org/mentors or calling 800-228-6332.
About NFDA
NFDA is the world’s leading funeral service association, serving 18,500 individual members who represent more than 9,900 funeral homes in the United States and 43 countries around the world. From its headquarters in Brookfield, Wis., and its Advocacy Division office in Washington, D.C., NFDA is the worldwide source of expertise and professional resources for all facets of funeral service. Through education, information and advocacy, NFDA is dedicated to supporting members in their mission to provide families with meaningful end-of-life services at the highest levels of excellence and integrity. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.
