Cressa Chalmers

Senior Vice President of Operations
Newcomer Funeral Service Group

Cressa Chalmers is a highly respected funeral service professional with nearly 25 years of experience and over 15 years as a licensed funeral director. Cressa is deeply committed to strengthening the funeral profession and nurturing the next generation of leaders. As an operations leader at Newcomer Funeral Service Group, she has been integral in developing a comprehensive leadership program that has significantly impacted daily operations and ensured the continuation of excellence in service to families. Her achievements include being named one of Columbus Business First's "40 under 40" (2011) and receiving the ONCON ICON Award as one of the Top 50 Human Resources Professional Award Winners for two consecutive years (2022-2023). In 2023, she also completed the OnCon Executive Level Leadership Program Certificate, further enhancing her leadership expertise.

Learning Lab: Next-Gen Leadership: Building a Legacy through Succession Planning

• 1 CE Hour, General

Tabitha R. Cline-Mills, MBA

Regional Manager & Licensed Funeral Director
Wellabe

Tabitha R. Cline-Mills, MBA is the Regional Manager of North Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina with Great Western Insurance, a Wellabe Company. She provides funeral homes with guidance to create a strategic portfolio of insurance products, aftercare programs and creative, personalized business solutions for preneed success with an at-need perspective. Additionally, she assists funeral directors and insurance agents with training, tools, and field support to aid with efficiency in daily funeral home operations. She draws from her experience as a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 2000. Working in both corporate and independent environments, she wrote preneed insurance concurrently for a full-service approach. Her experience also includes change and project management, marketing and public speaking engagements. Tabitha graduated with her Bachelor of Mortuary Science from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and earned her Master of Business Administration from West Texas A&M.

Learning Lab: Dear Funeral Director/Embalmer, A Look at Organ, Eye & Tissue Donation

• 1 CE Hour, General

Sherrie Dunlevy

Author/Inspirational Speaker/Podcast Host
Sherrie Dunlevy #Inspirationista

Former NBC News Anchor Sherrie Dunlevy served the Wheeling, WV area for nearly 30 years both on television and radio. Today she is a best-selling author, Inspirational speaker, host of the Graduating Grief podcast and host of the new TV show “For Mature Audiences” Her Number one best-selling book, “How Can I Help?” was written to help people know exactly what to say and do to support the people they love when they are hurting. Sherrie has found a way to "graduate" from the pain of losing a child, and her high profile career and is now sharing with others, how they too can learn, grow, and expand their lives after tragedies, losses and disappointments. Sherrie is a past presenter at the OFDA, the NFDA, the NJSFDA, and Western Pa FDA. She is featured in the December issue of the American Funeral Director Magazine. Sherrie has also delivered presentations to many other organizations and corporations which can be seen on her website.

Learning Lab: Exhaustion, Burnout and Stress- Oh My! - Self Care Strategies for the Funeral Professional

• 1 CE Hour, Ethics

Learning Lab: The Power of Human Connection

• 1 CE Hour, Ethics

Donald B. Ferfolia, Jr., J.D., CFSP

Vice President
Ferfolia Funeral Home

Don is a fourth-generation funeral director involved with his family’s funeral firm in the Southeast Cleveland area.  In addition to being a funeral director he is an attorney who is a principal with the law firm of Donald B. Ferfolia, Jr., LTD, located in Brecksville, Ohio.  The combination of law, funeral service, and family business experiences have provided Don with a unique skill set that enables him to assist clients in solving many different types of problems.  He enjoys helping firms deal with the daily challenges of running a closely held business including regulatory compliance, proactively managing accounts receivable issues and succession planning. 

Learning Lab: Fish and Funerals: Deathcare in the post-Chevron Doctrine Era

• 1 CE Hour, Laws & Rules

Learning Lab: Preneed Primer

• 1 CE Hour, Preneed Ethics Principles

Amy Hagen

Director of Learning and Development
Newcomer Funeral Service Group

Amy Hagen is a seasoned learning and development professional with over 20 years of experience in designing innovative programs, including more than 8 years dedicated to creating training for funeral service professionals. She has successfully developed leadership programs for funeral home managers and is highly experienced in creating interactive learning experiences across various environments, including virtual, in-person, e-learning, hybrid, conference, and on-the-job settings. Amy’s expertise in crafting impactful and adaptable learning opportunities makes her a valuable asset to the funeral service industry.

Learning Lab: Next-Gen Leadership: Building a Legacy through Succession Planning

• 1 CE Hour, General

John T. Hill

Funeral Director & Embalmer
Hill Mortuary Service & Seminars

John T. Hill is an Undertaker, currently licensed in 5 states. Based in North Carolina, he serves at James Funeral Home and Northlake Memorial Gardens in Huntersville near the city of Charlotte. Additionally, he owns Hill Mortuary Service & Seminars, offering embalming, restorative arts, and continuing education. On his days off, he embalms at Rouse Mortuary Service in Greenville, NC, and shares his expertise as a mortuary science instructor at Fayetteville Technical Community College and Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service.

​John's journey to becoming a Restorative Arts Specialist involved intensive education in embalming and restorative arts under Vernie R. Fountain. He furthered his knowledge with continued training in Anatomical Preservation and Dissection Theory.

​Recognized for his contributions, John's story was featured in the September 2022 edition of Southern Calls Magazine. In 2024, he founded and initiated the RESTORE Program, designed to enhance mortuary science education with a focus on high standards of quality care in embalming, restorative arts, and body presentation. His dedication extends beyond serving grieving families; he aims to mentor and motivate current and aspiring funeral professionals, empowering them to excel, serve with excellence, and make a difference.

Learning Lab: Jeopardy of Jaundice

• 1 CE Hour, Ethics
• 1 CE Hour, General

Mike Kachenmeister

Market Center Manager
Funeral Directors Life (FDL)

Mike Kachenmesiter has 20 years of sales management, insurance, and financial experience, with the last 12 years dedicated to the insurance industry. He currently holds Life, Accident, and Health Insurance Licenses in Ohio and Michigan. He is also a Certified Professional in Funeral Planning (CPFP). His educational credentials include an associate’s degree from Owens Community College and a bachelor’s degree from The University of Toledo. He is currently a Market Center Manager, in Ohio and Michigan, for Funeral Directors Life Insurance Company (FDL).

Preconvention AM Insurance Seminar: Maintaining Relevance and Ethical Standards in Today’s Insurance Industry

• 5 CE, Ethics Insurance License Hours Only

Preconvention PM Insurance Seminar: Leveraging Technology and Data to Meet the Life Insurance Needs of Today’s Generational Consumer

Important Details:

• Preconvention Insurance Seminar CE Hours are Insurance CE Hours Only and do NOT go toward Funeral Director or Embalmer Hours
• CE Hours pending approval with the Ohio Department of Insurance

Amanda Marie Eilis King, CFSP, MBIT

Embalmer & Funeral Director
B.C. Bailey Funeral Home
Frigid Fluid Company

Amanda Marie Eilis King, CFSP, MBIT, is an Embalmer and Funeral Director holding licensure in multiple states. She completed her embalming apprenticeship under Vernie R. Fountain, as well as extensive training in postmortem reconstructive work. In addition to her AAS in Mortuary Science from ACC in Colorado, Amanda holds a B.S. from Skidmore College for Studio Art and Biology, and a Post-Baccalaureate degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art. She is also an educator who specializes in and teaches reconstructive work and cosmetic application. Her contributions in the field outside of the funeral home include articles, illustrations, and photography for trade journals. Currently she is a Funeral Director and Embalmer for B.C. Bailey Funeral Home, and also does freelance work as AMEK Graphics, as well as being an embalming specialist with Frigid Fluid Company.

Embalming Track: The Value of Viewing – Marketta’s Legacy

• 1 CE Hours, General

Dr. Jennifer Lares

Doctorate in Business, Advanced training in Restoration & Airbrush Cosmetics, Veteran & prior DOD mortician
Mulling Mortician

Dr. Jennifer Lares Licensed Funeral Professional & Educator Jennifer Lares (MBA, DBA) has been a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in FL since 1998 and also holds an active dual license in TX (2017). Over the course of her career spanning 30 years, she has been licensed in WA, NV, TN, and NC. She also served in the US Navy as a Hospital Corpsman specializing in Mortuary Affairs from 2007-2012. ​ After graduating in 2019 with her Doctorate of Business Administration (UIW), Jennifer began teaching. She has been an Instructor with Northeast Texas Community College's funeral service education program since 2021, where she has taught a variety of courses. She has published research pertaining to the funeral industry, which she has presented at social science conferences in Detroit, MI and Princeton, NJ. Jennifer has presented various industry topics at events in TX (Emerging Leaders, South Texas Funeral Directors Association). ​ Jennifer has most recently served as a Mortuary Officer (civilian) at the US Army Regional Mortuary, Europe & Africa, located in Landstuhl, Germany. Jennifer has developed and implemented training within various Dept. of Defense agencies since her arrival. She specialized in restorative art and returning fallen service members home. In May she launched a training and consulting company called Mulling Mortician, in which she offers onsite and online custom training for funeral service professionals.

Learning Lab: The U.S. Navy Burial at Sea Program

• 1 CE Hour, Laws & Rules

Poul Lemasters, Esq,

Cremation Coach
International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (ICCFA)

Poul’s professional career covers both funeral service and law.  Poul has worked in the funeral profession for over 30 years and holds funeral director and embalmer’s license in several states.  As an attorney, Poul is admitted to practice law in several states as well. His work focuses in deathcare advising on funeral home, cemetery, and crematory issues across the country. He is a renowned Keynote speaker who has addressed audiences across North America. As an author, Poul has published hundreds of articles covering all aspects of deathcare and is also the author of the risk management book, “Cover Your Ass – The Ultimate Guide to Protecting Your Business.” Poul works directly with practitioners, and also serves as counsel for several associations including the National Concrete Burial Association, the Catholic Cemeteries Conference, and General Counsel for the International Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Association.

Preconvention Seminar: Crematory Operator Training

• 1 CE Hour, Ethics
• 4 CE Hours, General
• 2 CE Hours, Laws and Rules (relevant to Ohio and specific to crematory operation)
• In-person participants will receive continuing education credit only through OFDA

Lisa Oestreicher

Funeral Home / Coroner Liaison & Licensed Funeral Director
Lifeline of Ohio

Lisa has been licensed funeral director in the state of Ohio for over 12 years. She worked at a large funeral home in Central Ohio for 13 years before starting at Lifeline of Ohio in 2018 as their first Funeral Home/Coroner Liaison. Lisa believes collaboration with funeral homes and recovery agencies is essential for a successful relationship. By providing open lines of communication and education to both the funeral professionals and recovery staff she hopes to build the bridge between the two. She is a member of Donate Life Ohio Education Committee, Donate Life America Vice Chair of their Funeral Service Committee, and secretary of COFDA.

Learning Lab: Dear Funeral Director/Embalmer, A Look at Organ, Eye & Tissue Donation

• 1 CE Hour, General

Bob Pacanovsky

Speaker & Chief Hospitality Officer
Black Tie Experience

An entrepreneur for 30 years, primarily in the hospitality industry, Bob Pacanovsky, and his team created over 7,000 meetings, events, and receptions (including catering 25 of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction events), and had one opportunity to create both a “wow experience” and a lasting impression (or a Black Tie Experience) on his clients and guests. 

Now as a keynote speaker and strategic trainer, he uses his two decades of work to teach companies and organizations how to focus on Hospitality, Service Excellence, and Selfless Leadership to create Black Tie Experiences for every client and guest. 

Bob has worked with organizations and associations across the country in industries such as professional services, travel/tourism, healthcare, hospitality, association management, education, banking, and more.  He has achieved Professional Membership in the National Speakers Association (NSA).

Bob lives in Akron, Ohio, and is a graduate of The University of Akron with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance.  He is a passionate volunteer and has served on numerous non-profit boards, including the Alzheimer’s Association, OPEN M (a Christian Ministry), Jennings Senior Living, Goodwill Industries, Humane Society of Summit County, and others.

Keynote: The 5 Essential Laws of Hospitality (to Build Loyalty, Engagement, and Revenue)

• 1 CE Hour, General

Janine Stange

Motivational Speaker / On-Air Personality
JanineStange.com

Janine Stange is a motivational speaker, singer, and on-air personality. She is best known for her historic journey to sing the Star-Spangled Banner in all 50 states – a mission she embarked on to honor our brave. Her story is the subject of “National Anthem Girl” a documentary by Kelly’s Filmworks now streaming on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

Janine has been featured on every major television network and appeared on national news shows including: TODAY Show, Fox & Friends, NBC Nightly News, and Fox News @ Night.  She can also be heard every Thursday morning on Sirius XM’s 60’s Gold with Phlash Phelps.

For more information on Janine, please visit: www.janinestange.com and follow on social: Twitter: @TheAnthemGirl, Facebook: NationalAnthemGirl, Instagram: JanineStange. Join "Janine's Team" by texting USA to 33777.

Keynote: Choose to Rise: 5 Kyes to Maintain Balance & Ignite Momentum

• 1 CE Hour, General

Lanae Strovers

Funeral Director & Trainer
National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)

Lanae Strovers serves as the Trainer for NFDA and delivers the NFDA Arranger Training suite of education opportunities. She is a first-generation funeral director and strives to help families personalize services honoring their loved one. She was called to funeral service after the death of a close friend whose “cookie-cutter” funeral didn’t tell his story. -She knew there was a better way. Lanae graduated from Des Moines Area Community College with honors in 2012 and has served at Hamilton’s Funeral Home since then. During her time at Hamilton’s, she initiated a program for unclaimed remains, gaining national attention. Lanae is also known for her personalized touch for each family she serves - turning the funeral home into a baseball field, a gaming room, or a classy runway show with a pianist...Lanae will do whatever she can do to help make that service unique and special, reflecting who that person was in life!

Learning Lab: Unclaimed Cremated Remains

• 1 CE Hour, Laws & Rules

Learning Lab: Funerals ARE for Children

• 1 CE Hour, Ethics

Nelson Thulin

Director of Consulting Services
Johnson Consulting Group

Nelson Thulin began his funeral service career at a family-owned funeral home in Wisconsin and over the course of 35+ years, his work experience has included independent ownership as well as corporate leadership roles. His management experience ranges from a single location serving approximately 100 families a year to multi-location markets serving over 3000 families annually.

As Director of Business Consulting Services at Johnson Consulting, Nelson has overseen the development of JCG’s Leadership and Management Academy, the nationally recognized Customer Experience Workshops, internationally utilized Strategic Planning and highly rated Business Assessment Program. Nelson emphasizes a keen focus on the importance of exceeding expectations of client families and providing a meaningful and memorable experience for their guests, resulting in a loyal advocacy of our profession as well as continued growth of individual businesses.

Learning Lab: Tools of the Premier Funeral Home Workplace

• 1 CE Hour, General

Monica Torres

Licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer
AZ Preneed Licensee
Post mortem Reconstructive Specialist
Director of Marketing, Outreach and Development, Cairn Partners

Monica Torres is a globally recognized advanced embalming educator, corporate trainer, and funeral home operations consultant with a specialization in embalming and the preparation of unembalmed remains. As a Licensed Embalmer (LE), Licensed Funeral Director (LFD), and Arizona preneed licensee, Monica owns NXT Generation Mortuary Support, a global trade embalming and education company. In 2023, she was featured in Popular Mechanics Magazine as "the groundbreaking mortician pioneering new techniques to restore the dead and provide closure to grieving families."

Monica is the author of Embalming Tips Revealed and one of the funeral profession’s most sought-after public speakers. As a social media micro-influencer, she connects with over 70,000 morticians and families through her platforms, @coldhandshosts, where she has been educating the public and professionals about the value of embalming for more than 15 years.

In October 2024, Monica joined Cairn Partners full-time as the Director of Marketing, Outreach, and Development. With a career grounded in service to independent, family-owned funeral homes and cemeteries, Monica takes pride in being a funeral director who serves funeral directors. Her unwavering commitment to supporting family businesses mirrors Cairn Partners’ mission to empower independent funeral homes and cemeteries.

Cairn Partners exclusively serves family-owned deathcare businesses by delivering tailored, data-driven strategies designed to help them defend, grow, and protect their market share. With Monica leading marketing and outreach efforts, clients gain a trusted partner whose passion, expertise, and collaborative approach ensure their success in an ever-evolving industry.

Keynote: Best Practices in Embalming: A Comprehensive Approach

• 1 CE Hour, Laws & Rules

Mortuary Student Forum: Real Talk - So you want to be a Mortician?