About the Episode: 40 years ago this month, Christine Pepper walked through the doors of the National Funeral Directors Association for the first time. The profession she entered then looked vastly different from the one we know today.
In this episode, Gabe Schauf sits down with the NFDA CEO to mark this significant milestone and look beyond the resume. Christine reflects on her four-decade journey, discussing how she navigated the shift from a male-dominated industry to a workforce increasingly led by women. She shares her perspective on the evolving relationship between funeral directors and the media, the weight of leading through complex times, and her vision for what lies ahead. It is a candid look at the past, present, and future of death care from the person who has had a front-row seat to it all.
About Christine: Christine Reichelt Pepper became the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) chief executive officer on December 21, 2001. She began her career with NFDA in January 1986 as the director of finance & operations and then held the position of controller. After nine successful years in those positions, she was promoted to assistant executive director in August 1995. She assumed the role of acting executive director in 2001. She is the first woman to hold the position of NFDA CEO.
She authors a monthly column in The Director magazine, the association’s preeminent publication for funeral service. NFDA is the leading and largest funeral director association in the world. She leads a team of more than 40 professionals that create and deliver innovative education, information and advocacy for more than 20,000 funeral directors globally. Christine is dedicated to supporting members in their mission to provide families with meaningful end-of-life services at the highest levels of excellence and integrity. She speaks on a variety of issues in funeral service all over the world.
Christine is a member of several professional societies, including the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives (WSAE), and Association Forum. She is past president of WSAE. She has served on several bank boards and other association boards.
She received her Bachelors degree in accounting and real estate in 1985 and Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Christine immigrated with her mother and siblings from Germany on April 27, 1964, and became a U.S. citizen in 1983.
Christine resides in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and has two children, Zachary and Delaney.