For the first time ever, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) International Convention & Expo will host an event designed to reconnect attendees of its 2022 Professional Women’s Conference (PWC) and introduce others to this growing group of amazing and trailblazing women in funeral service.
PWC ReConnect: Making Waves in Baltimore is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, October 9, 2022 at the Baltimore Convention Center’s Camden Terrace. The event, which offers both previous Professional Women’s Conference attendees as well as anyone interested in learning more about future events the opportunity to mingle and network with fellow female deathcare professionals, is generously sponsored by National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) — the sponsors of April’s sold-out Professional Women’s Conference event in Miami.
“Our team joined the NFDA Professional Women’s Conference earlier this year and were really moved by the amazing group of women in attendance,” says Jennifer Kaset, NGL Regional Vice President of Sales. “From there our commitment toward supporting this mission and recognizing the strong women in the funeral profession became a dedicated focus. Our goal is to continue to support and create opportunities for women to come together, develop a strong network and have lifelong friendships.”
PWC ReConnect will proudly welcome special guest Annette March-Grier, founder of Roberta’s House, a family grief support center. A native of Baltimore, Annette co-founded Roberta’s House after recognizing the disparity of unresolved grief and loss in urban communities. She was in a unique position to witness this issue first-hand as vice president of Baltimore’s March Funeral Homes, one of the largest family-owned and operated African American funeral service providers.
“Annette spoke at Professional Women’s Conference in April, and so many of us were touched by her work with Roberta’s House that we wanted to reconnect with her in her hometown of Baltimore,” says Melissa Posey Loose, NFDA Training & Development Manager and Professional Women’s Conference coordinator. “She’s not only involved in her family’s firm, but her nonprofit has serviced thousands of grieving families and has just completed a 22,000-square-foot state-of-the-art grief center — which was completely funded through a capital campaign that Annette spearheaded. It’s just an amazing place.”
In addition to special guest March-Grier, Loose says PWC ReConnect attendees will be the first to hear information about the 2023 Professional Women’s Conference, including its date and location, and details on the David C. Baue NFDA Professional Women’s Conference Scholarship opportunities, which will cover registration, travel and accommodations for 2023’s event.
“The Professional Women’s Conference is not just for funeral directors,” Loose adds. “It’s for anybody who is in the deathcare space. Thanks to these scholarships, we’ve welcomed a lot of new women in deathcare to the Professional Women’s Conference, including students and apprentices; it’s a really diverse group.”
Both Loose and Kaset are excited and eager to continue in Baltimore the conversations begun at April’s PWC Women Making Waves gathering, especially with those new faces.
“It has been great to connect with women that have been growing in the industry for years and also meet and support those that are just entering the profession,” says Kaset. “More women are needed in funeral service as they bring an important focus to supporting families. This group of strong independent women have energized me and confirmed why I love what I do. I am excited and looking forward to watching the Professional Women’s Conference group continue to develop in the future!”
If you’re interested in learning more about the Professional Women’s Conference, networking with incredible folks, and perhaps enjoying a few cocktails at the kickoff of the 2022 NFDA Convention & Expo, RSVP today to NFDA’s Christina Von Den Bergh at cvondenbergh@nfda.org or 262-814-1563.
