Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — October 8, 2024 — More than 400 members and guests of Selected Independent Funeral Homes gathered at Disney’s Grand Floridian Convention Center and virtually for the 2024 Annual Meeting held September 25–28. The association’s premier event connected leaders from around the world and celebrated “The Magic of Connection.”
Magic was in the air as the event launched with the Welcome Celebration. Participants reconnected with friends and made new acquaintances over dinner, drinks and an exclusive photo shoot with Disney® characters.
Throughout the meeting, dynamic speakers highlighted relevant topics ranging from personnel management, organizational culture development, change management, funeral home merchandising and the future of funeral service.
In the session, “Maximize Your Leadership: Navigating the Five Types of People,” keynote Dr. Sherene McHenry, The People IQ Expert, helped participants adjust their leadership strategies based on the five common traits of the individuals on their teams.
In “The Trust Imperative: Bridging Divides for a Culture of Belonging and Organizational Effectiveness,” Desmond Lomax of the Arbinger Institute led participants to explore actionable insights on what is and isn’t working to build trust and belonging within their businesses.
Panel discussions featured Selected Members sharing guidance and proven practices in ownership succession to family members or key employees as well as tactics to recruit and retain top staff talent. This year’s event featured multiple “Members-Only Exchange” sessions and “Conversation Café” presentations from Selected Preferred Partners.
Lunch became the most important meal of the day for members of Selected’s four Communities as they dined together. Sponsors of Selected’s FirstGen and Funeral Home + Cemetery Management Communities shared presentations tailored to each group’s needs and members discussed pressing issues with their peers. Selected thanks Community Sponsors Full-Circle Aftercare, Kelco and PlotBox.
Selected inducted new Board Officers during the meeting. Tom Antram of French Funerals & Cremations will serve as President and John Keohane of Keohane Funeral Home will serve as Board Chair. New Board members Brad Pingel of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors, Inc. and Dan Kochapski of Carmon Community Funeral Homes were inducted into their leadership roles as well.
In addition, Selected recognized five firms for 75 years of continuous membership:
- W.L. Case & Co. – Saginaw, Mich.
- Jones Funeral Home, Inc. – Winchester, Va.
- Penzien & Steele Funeral Home, Inc. – Bay City, Mich.
- Rader Funeral Home, Inc. – Kilgore, Texas
- Turner & Porter Funeral Directors – Toronto, Canada
The following firms celebrated 50 years of continuous membership:
- Hauger-Zeigler Funeral Home – Somerset, Pa.
- Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home, Inc. – Methuen, Mass.
- Striffler Family Funeral Homes . . . Since 1866 – McKeesport, Pa.
The 2025 Annual Meeting will be held at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, September 28–October 1, 2025. For more information on Selected’s meetings, programs, becoming a member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes or to locate a member, visit selectedfuneralhomes.org or call 800-323-4219.
About Selected Independent Funeral Homes: Selected Independent Funeral Homes delivers innovative and pertinent resources, solutions and ongoing support necessary for enduring excellence to its international network of independently owned death care providers who aspire to be the very best in their profession. Members of Selected operate according to specific standards and best practices to provide the public with reliable, high-quality service and funeral-related information.
