Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Policy Board met on July 14 in Coeur d’Alene, ID, and elected Pasquale S. Folino, CFSP, CCO, of Thomas L. Neilan & Sons in new London, Conn., and Douglas “Dutch” R. Nie II, CFSP, CCO, of Nie Family Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Ann Arbor, Mich., to serve as at-large representatives on the association’s Board of Directors.
They will begin two-year terms of service immediately following the 2017 NFDA International Convention & Expo, October 29 through November 1 in Boston.
Folino became a funeral director and embalmer in 1988 after completing professional schooling at the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. In 1991, he joined Thomas L. Neilan & Sons, serving the families of southeastern Connecticut. In 2002, he became an owner and partner and serves as vice president of the firm. Recognized as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner, Pasquale has completed the NFDA Certified Crematory Operator program. He served two terms as president of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association and is now that state’s representative to the NFDA Policy Board.
As a community leader, Folino has selflessly volunteered at many organizations, working tirelessly to raise funds for a variety of causes, with scholarship funding being near to his heart. He enjoys cycling and, in September 2017, will ride from Boston to New York to raise funds for families of police officers killed in the line of duty.
In his candidate statement, Folino said, “I offer NFDA and its members all that I have to give. The willingness to listen to my fellow Board members, to deliberate with them and together find common ground for the betterment of funeral service and the families that we serve … I bring a strong readiness to embrace the changes that are in front of all of us in funeral service.”
Nie is a second-generation funeral director who grew up above his family’s funeral home. He has worked in nearly every position in the funeral home, from car washer and lawn mower to manager and, eventually, owner of a multi-location company.
Nie has vast experience serving and working on many executive boards, including service groups, non-profits and educational organizations. He has also served in all positions of the Michigan Funeral Directors Association, from district officer to state president.
In his candidate video, Nie states, “I have worked every position from apprentice to owner. I have a tremendous appreciation for how our mission as funeral directors not only affects us but our families. I will bring this understanding to my board position to benefit the membership.”
More information about Folino and Nie can be found on the NFDA website, www.nfda.org/vote.
NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving 19,700 individual members who represent more than 10,000 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.
