Keith Scott & Rebecca Klein
Keith Scott and Rebecca Klein, of TALLsmall Productions, coach clients internationally on how to communicate in a simple, confident style in which words, tone, and body language are aligned. The husband and wife duo launched ten years ago, and yes, the company is named for their heights.
The couple provides private executive and leadership coaching, group workshops, keynotes, and panel facilitation for corporate, government, and non-profit clients. Niche topics include public speaking, LinkedIn strategy, media relations, banishing imposter syndrome, presentation creation, and conflict resolution.
They have worked with clients including PayPal, Graybar Electric Company, BGE, Coldwell Banker, SC&H Group, the USDA, Maryland Transit Administration, Maryland Department of Labor, Chicago Public Schools, and many small businesses and entrepreneurs. You’ll also catch TALLsmall providing communications analysis on morning TV news segments.
The couple’s conference roster includes the Toyota North American Women’s Conference (NAWC), four American Gem Society Annual Conclaves (AGS), two Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association conferences (SMACNA) and state chapter events, court reporting events around the U.S. and in London, and for the North Carolina Community Associations Institute.
Rebecca and Keith give back by emceeing gala events and serving as auctioneers for such nonprofit organizations as Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, The Center for Hope at Lifebridge Health, and Girl Scouts of Central Maryland.
Rebecca holds a B.A. from Brandeis University. Keith received his B.A. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Rebecca’s career path includes working as a television reporter and producer, company spokesperson, marketing strategist, and writer. Keith served as CEO of the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Resource Center, where he also worked as a lobbyist.
Along with taking their business into its tween years, they have a blended family of four teenagers and a cat, who would tell you she is the CEO of the household.
Nora McInerny
How are you? Nora McInerny wants to know the truth. Nora is the creator and host of the podcasts Thanks For Asking, & It's Going to Be OK, and her past podcast, Terrible, Thanks For Asking. Nora is also best known for her viral Ted Talk, "We Don't Move On From Grief, We Move Forward With It," and specializes in making space for emotional honesty and difficult conversations.
From her bestselling memoirs and essay collections to her pieces in The New York Times, TIME magazine and The Washington Post, Nora's work regularly touches on topics many would rather not discuss — death, loss, illness, mental health, trauma and change — with disarming wit and earnest candor.
Drawing on her personal experiences with grief — Nora lost her husband, second pregnancy and father within a few weeks of each other — and her years of interviewing people who have lived through their own terrible experiences, Nora's unforgettable talks inspire audiences to face and conquer any obstacle — with the strength that comes from knowing that we are not alone — and will show you that it's okay to laugh, and crying is cool too.
Though Nora addresses what can be challenging and uncomfortable topics, she does so with a light touch. Her humor and charismatic presence breaks down the barriers that often isolate people who are going through adversity and change. Whether Nora is presenting a keynote or participating in moderated Q&A sessions, she creates interactive, one-of-a-kind multimedia presentations tailored to her audience, giving everyone new tools to help them connect more deeply with themselves and with each other.
Autumn Cooper
Autumn serves as sales representative with Dodge, covering Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Western Massachusetts alongside her role as part time chemist for the company. She is also adjunct facility for the Mortuary Science Program at Wayne State University and Cape Cod Community College. She is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Rhode Island.
Gail Marquardt
Gail Marquardt is Vice President of Consumer Engagement at the National Funeral Directors Association, where she leads Remembering A Life, NFDA’s consumer education initiative. Her work focuses on helping people better understand the value of funerals, the role of funeral directors, and the importance of remembering and honoring loved ones. Gail is especially passionate about giving funeral professionals practical tools—like Remembering A Life—to start meaningful conversations, build trust, and connect more deeply with families and other end-of-life professionals.
Lanae Strovers
Lanae 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!
Amanda King
Amanda Marie Eilis King, CFSP, MBIT, & MSP, is an Embalmer and Funeral Director holding licensure in multiple states in the US. 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 and content expert & course designer for Mortuary Training LLC.
Kristin James
Kristin James, LCPC, has specialized in supporting families coping with illness, trauma and loss for nearly thirty years. She coordinates the Grief Care Network, advancing grief-informed care across the lifespan, and collaborates with Return to Zero (RTZ) on perinatal loss education. Nationally recognized for her leadership in pediatric palliative care and grief support, she serves on the National Coalition for Hospice & Palliative Care Pediatric Division. Kristin co-founded Missing Pieces and developed the Pediatric Bereavement Care program at Lurie Children’s Hospital. She provides consultation, training, advocacy, and counseling, and earned her master’s in counseling from Loyola University.
Kiley Hanish
Kiley Krekorian Hanish, OTD, OTR/L is a bereaved mother, doctor of occupational therapy, advocate for perinatal loss and mental health, co-creator of “Return to Zero” film, and founder of the nonprofit organization Return to Zero: H.O.P.E. The stillbirth of her first son Norbert and her experience with postpartum PTSD in subsequent pregnancies inspires her to work with women navigating a similar journey.
Ellen Wynn McBrayer
Ellen Wynn McBrayer, CFSP, CPC, CCO, is the 2025–2026 NFDA for the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). Her calling into funeral service was shaped by the sudden loss of her father, Charles, while she was a student at Auburn University, and by a deep-rooted passion for compassionate care.
A third-generation funeral director and cemeterian, Ellen serves families through Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory and Meadowbrook Memory Gardens in Villa Rica and Douglasville, Georgia. She grew up in the family funeral home in West Georgia, where she watched her parents and grandparents care for grieving families with compassion and integrity. Today, she continues that legacy alongside her mother, Dana, and her husband, Scott.
Ellen’s leadership is grounded in tradition but shaped by experience. With more than two decades of active involvement in NFDA, she has served on numerous committees and task forces since 2003—including Advocacy, Professional Development, Pursuit of Excellence, and the Member Resources Work Group. These roles have allowed her to collaborate with colleagues across the country to strengthen, elevate, and innovate within the profession she loves.
Her service and dedication have earned her national recognition, including being named one of the top five funeral directors in the country by American Funeral Director magazine (2021) and receiving the inaugural NFDA Inspiration Award (2023), among other honors.
Ellen is also a proud mother of four amazing children: Rhett, a freshman at the University of Georgia; Wynn, a heart warrior and survivor; and twins Allie and Reese, who already enjoy helping serve families in their community.
She believes wholeheartedly that “Funeral service isn’t what we do — it’s who we are.”
Jasmine Berrios
Jasmine L. Berrios is a licensed Funeral Director, Embalmer, and Cemeterian at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Funeral Home in Los Angeles, California. A passionate advocate for modernizing and humanizing the death care profession, she educates the public through social media (@jasminethemortician on Instagram and TikTok) and media appearances, blending empathy, humor, and transparency to dispel misconceptions about funeral service. As the youngest officer (serving as Treasurer) in the 121-year history of the California Funeral Directors Association, and an advisory committee member for the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau of California, Jasmine is a rising leader committed to advancing innovation in the profession.
Jenni Bryant
Jenni F. Bryant, CFSP, CCO, is a native of East Tennessee and is the General Manager of Smith Life & Legacy in Maryville, TN. A Licensed Funeral Director & Embalmer, Jenni is a graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science in Atlanta. She is a member of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice and is the immediate Past President. Jenni has previously served on the NFDA Convention Education Task Force Committee, The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards National Board Exam Committee and is a Certified Crematory Operator. She and her husband David have one son, Logan who recently graduated John A. Gupton College of Funeral Service in Nashville.
Camelia Clarke
Dr. Camelia L. Clarke is a nationally recognized death care professional and grief expert. With more than 30 years of experience, she owns Paradise Memorial Funerary Corp. She serves as a national spokesperson for the National Funeral Directors Association and is a past president of the Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association. Dr. Clarke also serves on the Board of Directors of Federated Mutual Insurance, a Fortune 1000 company serving more than 46,000 businesses nationwide. She holds a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and has published research in leading academic journals. She and her husband Marcel are the proud parents of four wonderful children.
Mandy Stafford
Mandy Stafford brings nearly 16 years of experience as a licensed funeral director, licensed in MN, WI, and Iowa, dedicating her career to compassionate, personalized death care. As Preneed Coordinator and National Partnership Manager at Return Home, Mandy helps families and funeral professionals navigate meaningful, eco-friendly end-of-life planning. Now living on her family farm in southern Minnesota, she blends rural life with her professional mission to advance sustainable practices in the funeral profession.
Jessica Koth
Jessica A. Koth is a seasoned public relations leader and trusted voice serving as the director of public relations for the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). With nearly two decades at NFDA and more than 26 years in the public relations field, she leads the association’s comprehensive communications strategy, championing initiatives that strengthen NFDA’s reputation, support funeral service professionals and increase public understanding of meaningful memorialization.
Jessica oversees national media relations, crisis communication, brand storytelling and thought-leadership development for NFDA. She serves as editor of the “NFDA Bulletin,” manages the Pursuit of Excellence program, and develops high-impact content across NFDA platforms, including a monthly column for “The Director” magazine. She also established and managed NFDA’s social media presence for 14 years, significantly expanding the association’s digital reach.
Before joining NFDA, Jessica worked in agency public relations supporting nonprofit, healthcare and hospitality organizations across the country. She is a graduate of Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism.
Antoinette Allen
Dr. Antoinette Allen is an international leadership educator, former federal executive, life coach and veteran with over 30 years of experience. She specializes in supporting individuals and organizations through trauma, transition, and loss. Her work centers on forgiveness, emotional intelligence, and healing-centered leadership practices where she is known to integrate artistic expression.