2009 Funeral Directors Convention and Expo

SPEAKERS

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER — more educational programming

All presentations are approved for CEU certification by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice (APFSP) and the appropriate licensing authorities in Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, unless specifically noted otherwise. APFSP approved presentations are recognized by the licensing authorities in Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. (Licensees in states not listed should contact their boards for individual CEU approval.)

Within 30 days following the close of convention, attendees will receive a statement in the mail that will list all of the CEUs earned at this convention.

The list of 2009 presenters included:

. . . And We Wonder Why People Question the Need for Funerals?
Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD	Tuesday, September 29 • Noon to 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (This was a 90 minute session, 1 CEU in FL)
	Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD, explored the converging influences on why consumers question the need for funerals. Wolfelt discussed the implications for funeral care providers and offered proactive, practical ways to provide information, education and choices to families. Wolfelt is the founder and executive director of the Center for Loss & Life Transition, a facility located in Fort Collins, Colorado, that offers retreat-oriented learning experiences for bereavement caregivers. He is one of North America’s leading death educators.

Embalming Beyond Minimum Standards
Sharon L. Gee	Tuesday, September 29 • Noon to 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (This was a 90 minute session, 1 CEU in FL)
	Sharon L. Gee explored effective and efficient embalming methods to prepare bodies for optimal presentation. She discussed split injection, restricted cervical injection, treatment of cranial autopsy, embalming standards, strength and volume of preservatives and sutures. Gee is an instructor of embalming at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Gee also is manager, Pixley Funeral Home, Godhardt-Tomlinson Chapel in Keego Harbor, Michigan, president of the Michigan Embalmers Society and vice president, the American Society of Embalmers.

CSI: No, Forensic Toxicology
George S. Behonick, PhD, DABFT	Tuesday, September 29 • 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 30 • 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
	George S. Behonick, PhD, DABFT, discussed the forensic exaggerations depicted on the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation television series. Using actual case studies, Behonick acquainted attendees with the “how” and “why” of postmortem forensic toxicology and suggested ways to respond when families ask questions about autopsy and toxicology findings. Behonick is the director of forensic toxicology for UMass Memorial Medical Center Department of Hospital Laboratories and an assistant professor of pathology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Engaging Employees in the Funeral Home: A Case Study
Gregory L. Ferris, EdD	Tuesday, September 29 • 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 30 • 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
	Gregory L. Ferris, EdD, defined “engagement” as a workplace where employees know more, do more and contribute more to a firm’s success. Using an actual case study, he illustrated how to help firms generate increased revenue, improve productivity, obtain higher levels of customer satisfaction and create a workplace culture of high performers designed to retain talented employees. Ferris is an employee engagement specialist and performance coach. A former manager of training for Batesville Casket Company, he currently works with Paradigm Associates to consult funeral homes seeking greater engagement from employees and managers.

First Contact Is the First Step
Glenda Stansbury	Wednesday, September 30 • 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Thursday, October 1 • 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
	“It is no longer business as usual at the funeral home. You need to shift gears to meet new consumer expectations”. Glenda Stansbury discussed the pitfalls of the first call, family first impressions, how to respond to families in crisis, ways to make consumers comfortable and how to build their loyalty. At the end of this session attendees had what they needed to make families see them as welcomed professionals instead of dreaded necessities. Stansbury is In-Sight Books marketing and development director and In-Sight Institute dean and training coordinator. Before joining the company, she worked for 12 years as a trainer/facilitator for the Oklahoma Education Association. She is also a licensed funeral director.

New York Funeral Law* with Deborah H. Orecki
*This program is only accredited by the APFSP and the Bureau of Funeral Directing at the New York State Department of Health.	Wednesday, September 30 • 8:50 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. (This was a two part seminar, with a 20 minute break in between.)
	New York licensees learned about current New York State funeral laws during this two-part, two CEU course. Due to the nature of the material covered, to earn two CEUs in state jurisprudence as required for New York funeral director licensure renewal, guests were required to attend both sessions. Orecki has served as director at the Bureau of Funeral Directing at the New York State Department of Health for over 20 years. Previously she was a faculty member at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York and department chair of the school’s Mortuary Science Department. She is also a licensed funeral director.

Preparation of the Tissue-Recovered Body
Dr. George McCann, CTSB	Wednesday, September 30 • 8:50 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. Thursday, October 1 • 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
	Dr. George McCann, CTSB, discussed the tools needed to successfully evaluate and prepare a tissue-recovered body for full-service viewing. McCann demonstrated the techniques of arterial and hypodermic injection and topical application of preservative packs. Attendees received a DVD illustrating all the recovery and preservative methods discussed. As education director for the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, the largest tissue bank in the U.S., McCann is in charge of funeral director education and relations. He is a licensed physician, embalmer and funeral director.

Green Funerals: Something Old, Something New
Joe Sehee	Wednesday, September 30 • 8:50 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. Thursday, October 1 • 8:50 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.
	Joe Sehee discussed green funeral services, including the latest in eco-friendly, post-mortem preparation products and techniques, environmental concerns associated with death care and how to respond. Sehee also discussed ways to serve the emerging green funeral service market and explained what is driving this recent trend. Sehee is founder and executive director of the Green Burial Council, a nonprofit organization that encourages environmentally sustainable death-care practices and products, and the use of burial as a means of protecting natural areas. A former Jesuit lay minister and Peabody-award winning journalist, Sehee also is a senior fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program.

Reaching Your Community Via the Internet
Robin Heppell, CFSP	Wednesday, September 30 • 10:10 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. Thursday, October 1 • 2:10 p.m. to 3:10 p.m.
	With the Internet becoming the primary source of consumer information gathering, funeral directors must establish their “virtual” community presence, or be left behind. Robin Heppell, CFSP, demonstrated how to use the power of the Internet to reach families, and explained how to utilize four powerful strategies to help build an online community and position attendees as local “go-to” funeral service experts. Heppell is associated with FuneralFuturist.com, a funeral marketing and technology consulting firm based in British Columbia. A fourth generation funeral director and certified funeral celebrant, Heppell has over 20 years experience in the cremation market. He is a faculty member with the Canadian College of Funeral Service and a contributor to Mortuary Management and Canadian Funeral News.

Changes in Funerals: Why Are They Happening and Where Are They Going?
Thomas G. Long, PhD	Thursday, October 1 • 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
	Almost all funeral service professionals recognize that funeral practices and customs are rapidly shifting due to increasingly diminishing religious themes. Thomas G. Long, PhD, identified the major shifts and trends in American funerals and memorial services over the last century, in an effort to discover the underlying reasons for these shifts and to discuss where memorialization may be headed in the future. Long is the Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. He is the author/editor of 19 books and dozens of scholarly articles. He has been researching American death rituals and funeral practices for more than a decade.

We Don’t Want a Funeral. We Want a Cremation.
Julie A. Burn, CCrE, CSE	Thursday, October 1 • 8:50 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
	Julie A. Burn, CCrE, CSE, examined the wants and needs of the cremation-oriented consumer and demonstrated effective ways to add value to the arrangement conference. Dispelling some common myths about cremation families, Burn taught attendees how to develop rapport with these consumers and work together to create meaningful tributes. Burn is director of cremation services for International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA). Previously, she was chairperson of ICCFA’s Personalization Committee and a member of the marketing committee for the National Concrete Burial Vault Association. She previously worked for Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc. as cremation services manager where she was responsible for marketing and sales.

The Secrets to Enhancing Funeral Home Operations
Bruce Bratton	Thursday, October 1 • 8:50 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. and 2:10 p.m. to 3:10 p.m.
	How does a funeral home survive in today’s culture with a growing cremation rate and new forms of competition popping up every day? Bruce Bratton shared his secrets on how to use real overhead cost and cash flow profit to boost and restore a funeral home’s bottom line, all while establishing financial security and maintaining independence. Bratton is CEO of IQbrew, LLC, specializing in providing funeral home owners advice regarding funeral home valuation, funeral home competitive strategy, sales and marketing. A licensed funeral director, Bratton has an MBA in Finance and Marketing from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Family Business in the Rear View Mirror
Michael G. Henning	Thursday, October 1 • 10:10 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. and 4:50 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.
	According to Michael G. Henning, funeral home owners who follow his “10 principles of success” will quickly grow their firm operations. The principles include establishing common visions; effectively handling family and competitive needs; handling conflict between and within generations; and attracting and retaining key non-family personnel, just to name a few. Henning is the founder of Henning Family Business Center, a management and consulting firm specializing in business growth, change and future leadership headquartered in Effingham, Illinois. Prior to founding Henning Family Business Center in 1985, he was a high school teacher, coach and administrator.

Moments Held Legacy Work: Bob’s Story
Todd Hochberg	Thursday, October 1 • 10:10 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. and 2:10 p.m. to 3:10 p.m.
	Todd Hochberg offered an experiential understanding of the value and the methodology of legacy work for individuals at the end of their lives. Using a special video presentation, Hochberg discussed the value of documentary photography and videography in creating legacy materials, and the therapeutic benefits family members receive after their loved one’s death. Hochberg is a documentary photographer who works in conjunction with hospital bereavement programs, palliative care programs, and hospices as well as directly with individuals. His bereavement photography has supported parents experiencing the death of a child since 1997. His work has been featured in such publications as Life magazine, Photo District News, Chicago Sun-Times and the journal of the Association for Death Education and Counseling.