Master Your Craft: NFDA Hosting Two Embalming & Restorative Art Seminars in 2019
Brookfield, Wis. – To help both novice and seasoned embalmers hone their skills, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) will host two Embalming & Restorative Art Seminars in 2019. Registration for the first seminar, taking place May 17-18 at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in Pittsburgh, Penn., is now open. The second Embalming & Restorative Art Seminar will take place in August at John A. Gupton College in Nashville, Tenn
The dynamic and engaging NFDA Embalming and Restorative Art Seminars offer attendees advanced knowledge and techniques that can be applied when they return to their funeral home.
The seminar in May will be led by some of the country’s most respected authorities on embalming and restorative art: Vernie Fountain, CFSP, embalmer and postmortem reconstruction specialist and founder of Fountain National Academy in Springfield, Mo.; T. Scott Gilligan, NFDA general counsel and owner of Gilligan Law Offices in Cincinnati, Ohio; Amanda Marie Eilis King, licensed funeral director and embalmer from Springfield, Mo.; and Jason Mishler, CFSP, MBIE, owner and operator of Mishler Embalming and Transit Service in Columbia City, Ind.
These noted experts will lead sessions on a variety of topics, including: embalming procedures and techniques for all experience levels, featuring a live demonstration; advanced restorative art techniques to help make the most difficult cases presentable; embalming standards of care; and how to manage risk and reduce liability exposure.
Participants in the inaugural Embalming & Restorative Art Seminar in 2018 described it using superlatives such as, “fantastic,” “amazing,” “totally exceeding my expectations” and “the best presentation I ever attended in my 54 years as a licensed funeral director and embalmer.”
Attendees will save $25 when they register on or before April 17:
- NFDA member licensed funeral director
- On or before April 17: $225
- After April 17: $250
- Nonmember licensed funeral director
- On or before April 17: $375
- After April 17: $400
- Student/Apprentice
- On or before April 17: $100
- After April 17: $125
Complete details about the 2019 NFDA Embalming & Restorative Art Seminar at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, including information on how to register, can be found on the NFDA website, www.nfda.org/embalmingseminar.
There are a number of hotels located near the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science; visit www.nfda.org/embalmingseminar for recommendations.
Keep Your Embalming Skills Sharp With NFDA
NFDA will hold a second Embalming & Restorative Art Seminar in 2019, August 15-16 at John A. Gupton College in Nashville, Tenn. Speakers for this seminar are: Dominick J. Astorino, CFSP, MBIE, adjunct faculty at Wayne State University Department of Mortuary Science and managing director and embalmer at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons Inc. in Detroit, Mich.; Scott Gilligan, NFDA general counsel and owner of Gilligan Law Offices in Cincinnati, Ohio; Wallace Hooker, CFSP, MBIE, owner, funeral director and embalmer at Family & Friends Funeral Home in Wingate, Ind.; and Amanda Marie Eilis King, licensed funeral director and embalmer from Springfield, Mo. Details about this event will be available in mid-May.
For some embalmers, traveling to a conference may not fit with the demands of their business. NFDA offers several online learning courses focused on technical skills that enable funeral professionals to boost their skills wherever and whenever they have Internet access. Courses include:
- New: Embalming Risk Management (3 CE hours) presented by Scott Gilligan and Jzyk Ennis, Ph.D.
- Embalming the Obese Case (3 CE hours) presented by Vernie Fountain, CFSP
- New: Demonstration of Soft Tissue Repair (4 CE hours) presented by Dominick J. Astorino, CFSP, MBIE, and Wallace P. Hooker, CFSP
- New: Approaching Trauma Cases with Confidence (3 CE hours) presented by Dominick J. Astorino, CFSP, MBIE
- New: Relevance of Restorative Art (3 CE hours) presented by Dominick J. Astorino, CFSP, MBIE
- Embalming Perspectives and Paradigms Challenged (6 CE hours) presented by John S. “Jay” Rhodes III, CFSP
To learn more about NFDA Online Learning Courses, visit www.nfda.org/olc.
Embalmers who have questions about how to approach a challenge they face in the prep room or want to share a tip that has helped them in the past can visit the new online “Embalmers’ Community.” Exclusively for NFDA members, the online community is a place to meet, share ideas and collaborate with peers. The “Embalmers’ Community” can be found on the NFDA website, www.nfda.org (click on the “Resources” link at the top of the page; choose “Online Communities” from the menu).
NFDA has developed a consumer brochure, Embalming: Answers to Your Questions. This brochure gently explains the embalming process, describes the value of viewings and visitations as part of end-of-life rituals, and answers common questions that families may have. The brochure can be ordered through the NFDA Resource Store, www.nfda.org/store, or by calling 800-228-6332.
Funeral directors may also want to encourage families to visit NFDA’s new consumer-facing website, www.RememberingALife.com, which serves as a guide to honoring a life well-lived, from planning a tribute to mourning a loved one. The site offers guidance on how to start the planning process, the kinds of decisions families will make, and the many options available to make a tribute personal and meaningful. The site highlights information on service options (including embalming and the value of viewing), details about cremation and burial, and prefunding options.
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.
