Leaders in funeral service met July 29 – August 1, 2024, at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club to learn from leadership professionals, network and attend thoughtful sessions.

Leadership Conference Facebook photo album

Speakers

Alex Weber

With his contagious positive energy, Alex Weber immediately impacts audiences and ignites record-breaking achievements! Alex is an International Keynote Speaker, Award-Winning Host for NBC, and competitor on American Ninja Warrior. Alex is also the only person ever to Host and Compete on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior. Alex helps Leaders, Individuals, and Organizations be relentless, gain their competitive edge, and unlock new levels of achievement!

Alex connects so well with audiences because of his genuine openness about the challenges, self-doubt, and uncertainty that we all face - and how you can overcome it! As a professional entertainer, US Lacrosse Coach of the Year, and acclaimed Author, Alex is highly sought after for his unique ability to engage, transform, and empower audiences. Alex has positively inspired over 3.5 million people worldwide, and worked with major companies like ABC, Xerox, Apple, Amazon, Under Armor, LinkedIn, The Los Angeles Lakers, Stanford Business and many more. Alex is also the only person ever to Host and Compete on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior.

With his riveting storytelling, uplifting humor, and captivating energy, Alex empowers you to be a positive leader, propel past challenges, and accomplish your highest goals in your career, your relationships, and your life!

Kristina Rose

Kristina Rose is the Director of the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where she oversees programs and services that support crime victims and survivors. Ms. Rose was appointed to this position by President Joe Biden and sworn in on July 12, 2021. At OVC, she oversees nearly $9 billion in grant funding to provide vital compensation and assistance to persons impacted by crime. OVC also invests in new and innovative approaches to improving the criminal justice and community response to crime victimization and raises awareness of crime victim rights.

Prior to her OVC appointment, Ms. Rose was selected to serve on the Department of Defense Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military, where she led the Victim Care and Support line of effort.

Ms. Rose spent nearly 20 years at DOJ serving in numerous roles including as Deputy Director at OVC, as Acting Director and Deputy Director for the National Institute of Justice, and as the Chief of Staff for the Office on Violence Against Women. In 2016, Ms. Rose had the distinct privilege of working at the White House on detail as a Senior Policy Advisor on violence against women in the Office of Vice President Joe Biden. As Senior Policy Advisor, she provided expert advice and guidance on domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In 2013, Ms. Rose spent 8 months as a victim advocate in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., working hands-on with victims of all violent crimes.

At DOJ, Ms. Rose spearheaded many large-scale Federal projects including the first national survey to measure the crime of stalking in the United States; an action research project on untested sexual assault kits that produced national models for jurisdictions around the country; and a virtual training on sexual assault forensic exams with Dartmouth Medical School. Ms. Rose also led the development of the first National Sexual Assault TeleNursing Center, which provides virtual guidance to medical personnel conducting sexual assault forensic exams in rural and isolated areas.

In between her periods of Federal service, Ms. Rose served in the non-profit sector as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Healing Justice and as the Executive Director for End Violence Against Women International.

She holds an M.S. in criminal justice from Northeastern University and a B.A. in sociology from George Mason University.

William Pawlucy

William Pawlucy, CAE, MPA, IOM, fell into this wonderful world of nonprofits like most of us probably have. He fell into it and never left with three decades and work across continents including the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia. He has had some really interesting and unique opportunities such as the development of a post-conflict plan for Syria and setting accreditation standards in Georgia. He has collaborated with nonprofit organizations like the American Dental Association Foundation, National Association of REALTORS®, and many state and local state associations and chambers of commerce.

His book, "The Essential Handbook for Nonprofit Leadership," or The Handbook is a best-selling book and recently designated the core text for the University of Louisville's Master's in Social Work program, offers invaluable practical solutions and tips. Through his newly launched YouTube channel, "The NonProfit Life," he extends his commitment to knowledge-sharing, providing accessible guidance to a wide audience.

Before he fell into the world of nonprofits and Association Options, his career traversed various leadership roles in multiple industries globally, including serving as a national examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige Performance Excellence Award.

Residing in the charming city of Charleston, South Carolina, William balances his professional life with a warm and bustling family life, sharing his home with his wife, four children, three cats named Lulu, Salsa, and Smudge, and a dog named Rocky.

Tracey Madigan

Tracey Madigan is Director of the 15 Minutes Group. She is a veteran news producer and journalist who has worked in television, radio and online news. Tracey takes complicated issues and makes them concise and enlightening for a wide audience. She was Executive Producer at SiriusXM and ABC7 in Washington, DC, where she has been based for 17 years. Tracey studied journalism in her native Canada and worked for ten years with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. She speaks English and French. In addition to presentation and media training for executives, scholars and authors, she has helped launch several successful podcasts.

Carmalita March-Harris

Carmalita March-Harris is a third-generation funeral director and embalmer with March Funeral Homes in Reisterstown, MD which her grandparents founded 60 years ago in their East Baltimore row home. The business has seven funeral homes serving Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and March-Harris is general manager and supervising mortician at three of the seven funeral homes.

Leili McMurrough

Leili McMurrough is the president and program director for Worsham College of Mortuary Science and serves as the Chair of the Committee on Accreditation for the American Board of Funeral Service Education. In my capacity as an instructor, program administrator, and instructional designer, I have had the privilege of witnessing her outstanding leadership and dedication to the advancement of the funeral service profession.

Leili brings a unique blend of expertise to her role, being not only a licensed funeral director and embalmer but also a licensed attorney. This multifaceted background allows her to navigate the intricate legal landscape surrounding the funeral service industry with exceptional skill and insight.

As president of Worsham, she has exhibited exemplary leadership, steering the institution towards innovation and excellence. She has helped expand the program offering to include an online Associate of Science degree, more than tripling enrollments. Her commitment to fostering a supportive, holistic learning environment has greatly contributed to the success of students under her guidance. The programs initiated under her leadership have not only met but exceeded quality standards in funeral service education and higher education outside of mortuary science.

In her role as Chair of the American Board of Funeral Service Education, Leili has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of funeral service education in the United States. Her approach to curriculum improvements and tireless advocacy for the profession have earned her the respect of peers and colleagues across the nation.

Jake Johnson

Jake Johnson is President & CEO at Johnson Consulting, Jake provides strategic direction and marketing innovations that laid the groundwork for the company’s rapid growth, gaining recognition as the premiere total solutions provider within the funeral industry.

He is known as an innovator, change agent and thought leader. His strong foundation in accounting, financial analysis and technological expertise gives him the unique ability to identify simple solutions to complex business problems and the skill to communicate these solutions across all levels of the organization.

Chris Cruger

Chris Cruger is the Chief Executive Officer of the Foresight Companies, but his passion and desire for the development of the funeral and cemetery profession come through in everything that he does.

Chris’ experience in the funeral and cemetery profession began over 25 years ago and spans throughout North America, across five continents and 25 countries. Throughout his career, he has analyzed several thousand funeral homes and cemeteries and has a unique depth of perspective in this space. He regularly consults with members of the financial community on matters related to funeral service and has strong relationships in capital markets.

Andrew Allman

Andrew Allman is the Executive Director of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association bringing with him nearly 20 years of experience in the association world. Through his public accounting experiences, he developed expertise in the not-for-profit sector and in 2013, transitioned to his role as finance and operations director for the Ohio AgriBusiness Association leading to his executive director role of the Nutrient Stewardship Council. Andrew joined OFDA in 2022 and thoroughly enjoys representing funeral professionals. Andrew enjoys outdoor sports and recreation with his wife and two daughters..

Douglas R. “Dutch” Nie, II

Dutch Nie is a 2023-24 president of the National Funeral Directors Association. He is a second-generation funeral director who grew up in the residence above his family’s funeral home, Nie Family Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has worked every position in the funeral home – car washer, lawn mower, manager – and now is the owner of the family multi-location funeral business.

Dutch is a dedicated member of the Michigan Funeral Directors Association serving on many committees as well as all of the offices from district officer to state president. He is very proud of his tenure with the MFDA board, especially his role in establishing a leadership model during his presidency that increased membership, reduced member apathy and boosted member engagement.

On a national level, Dutch has previously served on the NFDA Board of Directors as an at-large representative, secretary, treasurer and president-elect. He has also served NFDA as a member of the Disaster Preparedness Task Force, Convention Education Task Force, Advocacy Committee, Audit Task Force, Budget Task Force and Spokesperson Team.

Lesley Witter

Lesley Witter, MPA, CAE, is NFDA’s Senior Vice President, Advocacy. In her role as NFDA’s federal lobbyist, she directs all government relations efforts including all legislative and regulatory programs and political activities. Lesley works closely with the nation’s legislators, regulators, and their staff to highlight the importance of the funeral profession and to advance funeral service legislative and regulatory initiatives on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies. Lesley is a Certified Association Executive and has a bachelor’s degree in government and international relations and a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University. She has been with NFDA since 2007.

Chris Farmer

Chris Farmer serves as the chief legal officer for NFDA. This position has overall responsibility for all legal, compliance and related activities for the Association.

Agenda

Monday, July 29

8:00 - 8:45 a.m. Check in
9:00 a.m. Tee Times
TPC Sawgrass

Join us for the most prestigious golf outing in NFDA’s history at the 2024 Leadership Conference. Play the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass – home of The Players Championship. This is the same course that PGA tour pros play every March. As an added incentive, NFDA has negotiated over $250 worth of extras for each player. You won’t find another opportunity to play TPC Sawgrass with these bonuses.

4:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Badge Pick Up
Ponte Vedra West Lobby 

4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
PAC Tailgate (Invitation-only NFDA Member event)
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club West Lawn

Get ready to tailgate like a pro with hot dogs, sliders and prizes at this invitation-only event to help raise money for the NFDA PAC. 

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club West Lawn

Sponsored by: 

Tuesday, July 30

7:30 – 11:00 a.m. 
Registration
Conference Center Lobby
 
7:30 – 8:00 a.m.
Breakfast
Conference Center Lobby

8:00 – 8:15 a.m.  
Welcome & Introductions
Ballroom

Douglas R. “Dutch” Nie, II, CFSP, CCO, NFDA Board President
NFDA Business
Ballroom
Meet the Candidates: 2024-2026 At-Large Representative Candidates

8:15 – 9:00 a.m.

Advocacy Session
Ballroom

An Update on the EPA and the Fate of Formaldehyde

Lesley Witter, MPA, CAE, NFDA Senior Vice President, Advocacy

Get the latest news from NFDA’s lobbyist, Lesley Witter.  She’ll give you the latest scoop on what’s going on with EPA, Formaldehyde and any other breaking news.
(1 CE hour)

9:00 – 9:15 a.m.
Break

9:15 – 10:15 a.m.
Keynote Speaker
Ballroom

Unstoppable Leadership 

Alex Weber famed American Ninja Warrior, leadership and peak performance expert.  

Unstoppable Leadership begins with your unwavering commitment to yourself, your vision, and everyone you touch. But with this immense hunger for success comes immense pressure, challenges, and internal adversity.  Alex deep-dives on the actionable principles of what it takes to be an Unstoppable Leader. For yourself, and all those you lead.

Alex shares lessons and empowering stories from being one of the youngest coaches ever to win US Lacrosse Coach of the Year, setting achievement records, and winning championships in his very first season of coaching - as well as uncommon & incredible stories from Leaders in the world.  Alex honestly and openly talks about the challenges we face as Leaders not only in our careers, but in our relationships and personal lives too.  Alex shows you how to navigate the external obstacles, internal roadblocks, and interpersonal dynamics that come with peak Leadership - especially how to best handle difficult personalities.  A leader is only as successful as the people you lead, and we need to create a shared vision, cultivate a true bond centered upon trust, and activate our members to take positive action with our unified goals.

There is not one archetype for a Leader, and we will identify, cultivate, and channel you to be your Unstoppable Leader.   A leader that sets the tone for a culture of positivity, passion, and perseverance. This Keynote is perfect for Leaders of all experience-level who are ready to ignite a new season of achievement for themselves, and the people they lead!

Key Takeaways:

• How to build a meaningful bond with your teams, align goals to maximize performance, and cultivate further progress even in the most difficult of times.
• A nuanced approach for dealing with difficult personalities while creating an “Us” mentality.
• How to foster and sustain strong mental health as a Leader for consistent and long-lasting success.
• Calling upon personal lessons of being the youngest to win US Lacrosse Coach of the Year to being an Award-Winning Host & Competitor on American Ninja Warrior.
• Leaders leave on fire to be catalysts for peak achievement for themselves, and the people they lead!

(1 CE hour)
The first 200 participants will receive a complimentary copy of Alex's book, Fail Proof: Become the Unstoppable You. 

Sponsored by: 

10:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Breakouts by Office
These are breakout discussion sessions for officers and state executive directors.  During these facilitated sessions, participants from each state have the chance to discuss issues important to their position and their association.  There are separate simultaneous sessions for presidents, presidents-elect, secretaries/treasurers, past presidents and state executive directors. Participation in each session is for those who are currently in or are transitioning into those roles. 

• Presidents - Silver Sand Dollar 2
• Vice Presidents - Stockton A
• Secretaries/Treasurer - Lagoon 2
• Past Presidents - Stockton B
• State Executives - Lagoon 1

(1.5 CE hours)

Wednesday, July 31
 

7:00 - 10:45 a.m.

Registration
Conference Center Lobby
 

7:30 - 8:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
Conference Center Lobby
 

8:00 – 9:15 a.m.

Association Management Session
Ballroom

Empowering Success: Strengthening Governance & Volunteer Engagement in Your Organization

William Pawlucy, CAE, MPA, IOM, Founder and President of Association Options  

Join us for a transformative workshop designed to elevate your organization's effectiveness through sound governance structures and strengthened volunteer relationships. Discover actionable strategies for building a robust governance framework that ensures organizational success at every level, while enhancing volunteer involvement to foster a collaborative and empowered community. This session will guide you through the essential elements of governance, from reviewing key documents to nurturing strong, supportive connections with your volunteers, setting the stage for a thriving organizational ecosystem.
(1.25 CE hours)

There will be 200 complimentary copies of William Pawlucy's book, The Essential Handbook for Nonprofit Leaders, distributed between his two association management sessions.

9:15 - 10:00 a.m.

Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care for Funeral Directors
Ballroom

Kristina Rose, Director at Office for Victims of Crime, US Department of Justice

Vicarious trauma is an occupational challenge for funeral directors and other individuals working in the funeral services profession, due to their continuous exposure to victims of trauma and violence. Reactions to trauma exposure can include disruptions in thinking and changes in beliefs about one's sense of self, one's safety in the world, and the goodness and trustworthiness of others; as well as shifts in spiritual beliefs. Individuals may also exhibit symptoms that can have detrimental effects, both professionally and personally. This session will further define vicarious trauma, walk participants through OVC’s Vicarious Trauma Toolkit, and offer information about how to become a trauma-informed organization.

(1 CE hour)
 

10:00 – 10:15 a.m.

Break
 

10:15 – 11:30 a.m.

Foundational Spokesperson Training
Ballroom

Tracey Madigan, Director of the 15 Minutes Group

• What print, radio, and television journalists are looking for in an interview
• How to be informative on subjects that are sensitive
• How to craft compelling soundbites that are concise
• Body language and appearance best practices
• How to control an interview with bridging techniques and specific language

(1.25 CE hours)

11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Voting for At-large NFDA 2024-26 Board of Directors Candidates
Ballroom

This is an open session; however, only designated state association representatives are eligible to vote.

1:15 – 2:45 p.m.

Association Management (optional session)
Tarpon

Value Propositions to Member Engagement: Navigating the Essentials  

William Pawlucy, CAE, MPA, IOM, Founder and President of Association Options

Dive deep into the essentials of crafting compelling value propositions and engaging members effectively in this focused workshop. This session provides a holistic toolkit for not only developing but also delivering a value proposition that resonates deeply with members, ensuring your organization's distinct presence in a competitive environment. 

(1.5 CE hours)
 

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Leadership Luau Closing Party (optional ticketed event)
Surf Club Patio at Ponte Vedra

Join us for a Luau-themed extravaganza which includes dancers, a fire/knife thrower, a full dinner buffet, open bar, music, and an hour-long show.

We're bringing the "Aloha Spirit" to Ponte Vedra Beach. Tiki bars, Tiki huts, lei-greeters...we have it all! 

Thursday, August 1
 

7:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Registration
Conference Center Lobby 

7:30 - 8:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast
Conference Center Lobby

8:00 – 8:15 a.m.

Introduction
Ballroom

Douglas R. “Dutch” Nie, II, CFSP, CCO, NFDA Board President

8:15 – 9:00 a.m.

Legal Update
Ballroom

NFDA Legal and Advocacy Update

Chris Farmer, NFDA Legal Counsel

Lesley Witter, MPA, CAE, NFDA Senior Vice President, Advocacy

Hear from NFDA's Legal Counsel, Chris Farmer on legal information and advocacy updates from NFDA's Lobbyist, Lesley Witter that impact you and the funeral profession. 

9:00 – 9:15 a.m.
Break

9:15 – 10:45 a.m.

Workforce & Succession Planning Panel Discussion
Ballroom

Intentional Retention & Succession Planning

Panelists:

Carmalita March-Harris – March Funeral Homes


Leili McMurrough - Worsham College

Andrew Allman – Ohio Funeral Directors Association

Jake Johnson - Johnson Consulting Group

Moderator:

Chris Cruger - Foresight Companies

Recruiting and retaining funeral service staff and planning for the future to continue to be on everyone's mind. We'll tackle the issues and hear ideas from many perspectives. Questions will also be solicited in advance to cover topics that are of the greatest interest to participants.  
(1.5 CE hours)

10:45 – 11 a.m.
Closing Remarks
Ballroom

Douglas R. “Dutch” Nie, II, CFSP, CCO, NFDA President

Earn up to 10 CEs at this year’s Leadership Conference. Use the MY NFDA app to scan for CE credits after each session.