NextGen Professional of the Year
About the Award
The NextGen Professional of the Year Award is designed to recognize the career accomplishments and community/organization involvement of funeral professionals under the age of 50. For years, the members of Selected's NextGen Group have proven that there are many talented and engaged funeral professionals in their 20s, 30s and 40s. The NextGen Professional of the Year Award is offered to honor their efforts.
Watch for 2025 nominations in July 2024.
Congratulations to 2024 Award Winner Quinn Haisley-Wheeler!
What started as an after-school and weekend job turned into a career which has left an indelible mark on Quinn Haisley-Wheeler’s Fort Pierce, Florida community.
Career Excellence. Quinn’s senior year of high school was a turning point in her life. At that time, she realized she wanted to work in the family business. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Florida State University, she earned a degree in mortuary science at St. Petersburg College.
Soon after being licensed as a funeral director and embalmer, Quinn began to explore expansion options for Haisley Funeral & Cremation Services. In 2012, the firm opened Haisley Pet Loss Service. The business has grown more than 1,000% since its opening. Adding a pet crematory has allowed the firm to connect with thousands of new families within the community, with opportunities to serve some of the same families with the loss of their loved ones.
Shortly after the successful launch of her family’s pet business, Quinn saw an opportunity to serve price shoppers who wanted lower-cost options. This led to the launch of Treasure Coast Cremations in 2015. Without any marketing, call volume for the business has steadily increased, strictly by word of mouth.
Quinn’s promotion to Director of Funeral Service Operations came with the responsibility of running day-to-day operations of both of her family’s funeral home locations, their pet crematory and online cremation business. Under her oversight, the family business opened a second funeral home location, Haisley Funeral & Cremation Service Tribute Center, remodeled its selection room, increased its veteran options and cremation selections and upgraded all its computer systems to include virtual selection rooms with tablet PC’s.
Knowing her mother’s love for horses, Quinn encouraged Haisley Funeral & Cremation Services to add a non-profit to the family business in 2017: Healing Hoofs Therapy Horses, Inc. The firm’s four miniature horses make weekly visits to local nursing homes, hospice facilities and schools with special needs children to provide comfort to those who are suffering from a loss or illness.
Technology has allowed the family business to meet the changing needs of its community, especially during the pandemic. Quinn facilitated the digitization of documents and helped her staff make funeral arrangements over Zoom and Facetime. When Covid restrictions limited the number of people who could be in their facility, the team began streaming services. They also purchased portable A/V systems to accommodate families who requested graveside services. Under Quinn’s leadership, the team successfully adapted to the new norm, overcame many challenges and emerged from the pandemic stronger and more unified.
Community Commitment. Quinn inherited her love for community involvement from her parents, who were founding members of the Independent Funeral Directors of Florida. Her service includes the following:- St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce
- The Royal Palms of St. Lucie County
- Vice President of the governing Board of Directors for CASTLE Teaching Safe Parenting
- Allocations panelist for the United Way of St. Lucie County
- Co-chair of St. Anastasia Catholic Church and School Capital Campaign
- President and board member of the Fort Pierce Sunrise Kiwanis Club
- Sponsor for the Lincoln Park Academy Key Club
- Golf tournament committee
- Farm City BBQ committee
- Fort Pierce Sights and Sounds Christmas Parade committee
- Chair of Dr. Seuss Day
- Design Day lead for playground project in partnership with the City of Fort Pierce
Currently she is a member of Selected’s Programming Work Group. She graduated from the Selected Leadership Academy in the class of 2016–2018 (Supernova).
Selected Independent Funeral Homes holds a special place in Quinn’s heart. She credits the association with her current level of achievement in funeral service. “For me, being involved with Selected and being able to have a group of like-minded individuals I can call on at any time, has set me apart from others in our industry.”
Quinn’s funeral service career demonstrates the importance of adaptability to meet new challenges head-on in a constantly changing environment. She shared, “I'm not saying I have all the right answers or that I do things perfectly, but I have found that it is possible to build a successful business, be involved in various community organizations and be the best wife and mommy possible to my boys. The next generation of funeral service providers must adapt and overcome all things thrown our way and be resilient.” We couldn’t have said it better. Quinn’s resilience and her commitment to family, community and funeral service makes us proud to give her the 2024 NextGen Professional of the Year Award.
Past Award Winners
Learn about past winners of the NextGen Professional of the Year Award.