2019 Annual Meeting

Here you can find materials from the 2019 Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN, including recordings, slides and handouts from the sessions, photos, continuing education information, a news release template, the official meeting program, meeting agenda and a list of those who participated.

AUDIO RECORDINGS, SLIDES & HANDOUTS

Complimentary audio recordings provided through the generous sponsorship of Batesville Casket Company

2019 Speakers

"Harnessing the Hurricane: Adapting Faster to Extreme Change”
Keynote Address by Dr. Mark DeVolder
Change expert Dr. Mark DeVolder will help you learn how to rewire your brain to adapt to change, anticipate future trends and persevere in adversity. Mark’s practical principles enable you to act boldly, nimbly and quickly in face of exponential change.

Audio Recording (MP3)

"Leadership Redefined: Ownership, Engagement, Results”
General Session featuring Meridith Elliott Powell
Employee engagement trumps customer engagement…every single time! Meridith will show you how the relationship you build with your employees is more important than the relationship you build with your customers.

"Ready for Change or Ripe for Disruption?”
Futures Session featuring Jonathan David Lewis
Selected members were surveyed to help create a Death Care Disruption Index, a new tool designed to assess whether your organization is prepared for change or headed for disruption. Jonathan will highlight key findings from the survey and offer next steps to navigate The Disruption Cycle.

Audio Recording (MP3)
Handout (PDF)

"Success and Stress: A Different but More Effective Way to View Both"
Davana Pilczuk, PhD, proves there’s a realistic way to create both a culture of positivity and a high-performing team.

Audio Recording (MP3)
Slides
Handout 1: Four Horsemen Student Guide [PDF], Handout 2: Sleep Worksheet [PDF], Handout 3: Multitasking Test [PDF]

“How the Family Manages Traumatic Loss”
Dr. Bill and Debbie Hoy tell what they have learned about coping with traumatic loss as a family, how they involved their young adult children, what their friends (including Selected members) did to provide support, and how they now deal with the ongoing cognitive and physical deficits with which Bill contends.

Audio Recording (MP3)
Handout [PDF]

“Leverage Technology for Impactful Marketing”
As a Google Premier Partner, Murray Levine, Internet Ads Pros, will highlight best practices to ensure ad campaigns produce results. As a leading provider of digital-first marketing for funeral homes, Zack Garbow, Funeral Innovations, will share how your website, Facebook and email marketing can work together seamlessly to grow your business.

Audio Recording (MP3)
Internet Ad Pros: Slides (PowerPoint)
Funeral Innovations: Slides (PDF)

“The Best Ways to Market in a Digital World”
Courtney Gould Miller, MKJ Marketing, and Welton Hong, Ring Ring Marketing, not only understand but embrace the role technology plays in today’s successful marketing strategies. They’ll each share their perspectives and recommendations on how to get the most out of your marketing.

Audio Recording (MP3)
Ring Ring Marketing: Handout (PDF) Slides (powerpoint)
MKJ: Slides

“Raise the Bar in Recruiting and Interviewing“
Todd Van Beck outlines a process which will assist in tightening up your recruiting and interview procedures and, ultimately, raise the bar in putting the right people in the right positions and keeping them there for a long time.

Audio Recording (MP3)
Handout 1: Legal Regulation of Mortuary Education [PDF] Handout 2: Funeral Code of Ethics [Doc] Handout 3: Recruiting: Purpose and Mission Driven [Doc] Handout 4: Recruiting: Funeral Director Position Descriptions & Expectations [Doc] Handout 5: Recruiting: Embalmer Position Descriptions & Expectations [Doc] Handout 6: Evaluation: Bi-Annual Evaluation Form [Doc] Handout 7: Purpose Driven Philosophy: Focus on People [Doc] Handout 8: Always the Apprentice: Article in The Director.edu [PDF]

“Be a Gathering Place”
David Moore, Executive Director, and Marcy Breffle, Education Manager, with Historic Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, GA, will explain the creative methods and details involved to facilitate their innovative and popular programs and the challenges and opportunities that can be applied to almost any cemetery (and possibly funeral home) around the world.