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ICFA 2006 Convention Speakers
 Gene Allen, CFSP, CPC, owns and manages Kerrville Funeral Home in Levelland, Texas. Previously, he spent almost 20 years in the oil and gas industry. He graduated from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service with a degree in Mortuary Science, and he became a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in Texas. Allen serves as a director of the TFDA South Central Region, the Funeral Ethics Association and the American Society of Embalmers. He is a past president of Hill Country Funeral Directors Association and the Kerrville Host Lions Club. He has served as an advisory board member of Kerrville Main Street and The Haven Alzheimer's Care Center. Allen is a board member for the Hill Country Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Dietert Senior Center and is a former board member for the K'Star Youth Shelter. Allen has been a presenter for both the Spring 2005 and the Fall 2005 "Continuing Education Symposium" sponsored by Texas Funeral Service Commission in Austin
 John Bolton, CCE, is general manager for Heritage Family Cemeteries, Inc., in Johnson City, Tennessee. In addition to being responsible for cemetery operations, he is directly responsible for preneed sales programs and family service operations for all of the Heritage Cemetery properties, located in three states. John has conducted seminars and training for the states of Tennessee and North Carolina, Service Corporation International, Equity Corporation International and the ICFA. He is a past president of the Cemetery Association of Tennessee and serves on the board of directors for the Virginia Cemetery Association. He holds a master's degree in education. John received his Certified Cemetery Executive designation in 2004 and graduated from the ICFA University in 2005.
 Ray Broccardo is a sales representative for Mission Park Funeral Chapels and Cemeteries in San Antonio, Texas. Previously, he has worked for the Loewen Group and for Service Corporation International.
 Jeff Crilley is an Emmy Award winning TV reporter in Dallas, Texas. During his 20 years in television news he has made hundreds of national news appearances including CNN Headline News, FOX News, The Discovery Channel, Good Morning America and The CBS Early Show. He is the author of the book Free Publicity, in which he shares tips on how to get guaranteed media coverage.
 Tom Daly, CCE, CCCE, is president of CHS Consulting Group/Cemetery Helpful Solutions in Westwood, Massachusetts. He is a board officer and the state representative for the Cemetery Consumer Service Council in Reston, Virginia and a member on the State Government and Federal Trade Commission Committees of the ICFA. He is also the Massachusetts Cemetery Association contact with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Consumer Division. Tom has received the Professional Achievement Award from the New England Cemetery Association. He has served as president to both the Massachusetts Cemetery Association and the New England Cemetery Association and has served on the Board of Directors of ICFA. He has extensive background in cemetery law, serving as chairperson of the Legislation and Consumer Affairs Committee for both the Massachusetts and New England Cemetery Association. For National Catholic Cemetery Conference, he has served on the Committee on the Future, Law and Legislation Committee and as a consultant for its Cemetery Evaluation Service.
 Allen Dave is the managing partner of Fall Creek Memorial Funeral Home in Humble, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He graduated from The Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Services in 2003. He was employed by the Houston Chronicle Publishing Company for 20 years as a sales and service manager in retail trade zone advertising & direct mail and is currently a contractor for the Hearst Corporation. Previously, he owned a wedding event planning company and was the chairman and founder of the Distinctive Brides Bridal Expo in Houston. His experience allows him to introduce innovative ideas and marketing concepts to the funeral industry. He promotes his funeral home to bridal businesses and builds a referral based business by promoting products and services, business alliances, and networking.
 Don Douthit is vice president of U.S. Tissue and Cell in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has 27 years of experience as a licensed funeral service professional and allied health educator and 17 years of experience as a professor and director of research at Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. Don is in his 15th year as scientific advisor to Cremation Association of North America, and he has served on numerous committees including American Burn Association, American Association of Tissue Banks Ethics and Education Committees, NFDA Infectious Disease Committee, and Cincinnati Fire Division Infectious Disease Protocol Committee. Don is the co-recipient of the Alice Hamilton Science award for research on the Cytogenic Effects of Formaldehyde Exposure of Mortuary Science. He speaks nationally and internationally on his research and educational programs, and has participated in two documentaries for the Discovery Channel.
 Fraser Drysdale, BSc., MBA, is a senior consultant with Hilton Landmarks Inc., Cemetery Consultants, an award-winning firm located in Waterloo, Ontario Canada. Previously, Drysdale worked as a geologist in the oil fields of Canada and Argentina. For the past four years Fraser has been instrumental in leading cemeterians through the rapid changes experienced in the industry today by way of feasibility studies, needs analysis/demand studies and business and strategic plans for a wide variety of cemetery clients including both the private and public sectors. His geology expertise has led him to captain Hilton Landmarks Inc.'s "Landmark Discoveries" Division which conducts non-destructive/non-evasive "Discovery" surveys to establish the occupancy status of grave lot areas in cemeteries suspected of containing unmarked interments.
 Suzanne Elkins is manager—Business Planning Solutions, of Batesville Casket Company in Batesville, Indiana. She has developed and implemented customized CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Merchandising and Business Planning programs for the death care industry, the insurance industry, the health care industry and other sales and marketing organizations. Her primary expertise is implementing a combined software and process driven solution to business. She has extensive knowledge in the sales process and sales management, training techniques and business planning management. A licensed Funeral Director, she received her bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati and her Masters in Business Administration - Marketing and Finance from Xavier University, both located in Cincinnati Ohio.
 Coleen Ellis is president of the Pet Angel Memorial Center in Carmel, Indiana, the first stand-alone pet funeral home in the United States, on track to handle 500 calls in its first year, without significant veterinarian endorsement. Ellis formerly worked for Forethought Financial Services.
 Michael Fronk is president of Michael Fronk and Associates in Deland, Florida, a funeral home consulting firm specializing in marketing and prearrangement sales. Fronk has over 20 years of experience in prearrangement marketing and has previously worked for Premarco and Passages International Marketing Group. He is a frequent speaker at funeral home-sponsored community presentations on the advantages of prearrangement, as well as memorial and "help for the holidays" services. He also speaks to chaplains groups, to educate clergy on how to work with funeral homes and to best help families deal with grief. Michael served as a pastor for over 13 years and is currently chaplain of the Independent Funeral Directors of Florida, as well as University Chaplain for Stetson University in Deland, Florida. He served on the Florida Council of Churches in the 1980s. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Stetson University, and earned his Masters of Divinity from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
 Christopher Fultz, AIA, is principal of SMBW Architects in Richmond, Virginia. His leadership has helped elevate the firm to the upper tier of design firms on the East Coast. In 1997 Chris was selected by the Virginia Society AIA as one of the top ten rising young architects in Virginia. Issues of landscape have always been central to his design methodology. Chris was lead designer and Principal-in-Charge of the Belvedere Gardens mausoleum in Salem, Virginia, and the National Donor Memorial in Richmond. Both projects won Virginia Society AIA Design Awards for Excellence. In addition, Belvedere Gardens has been recognized at the national level with the 2005 American Architecture Award by the Chicago Athenaeum and the 2005 Faith and Form / IFRAA Honor Award for Sacred Landscapes, by the Interfaith Forum on Religious Art and Architecture. Chris' project experience ranges in scale from a modest-sized contemporary home on the James River to an 80,000 square foot corporate headquarters in downtown Richmond.
Joni Gallagher is the former director of community outreach for the Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of San Jose, California.
 Doug Gober is executive vice president for The Doody Group. Doug began his funeral service career 20 years ago as a sales representative for the Batesville Casket Company. While with Batesville, he won numerous sales awards, and he also served as a consultant on national marketing and merchandising programs. He earned a Business degree in Accounting at the University of Alabama, and he became a CPA specializing in industrial audits and corporate taxes. Gober previously directed the European operations for the Doody Group in the UK and France. He has been instrumental in planning and implementing a number of innovative merchandising products created by The Doody Group and its parent company, The York Group, Inc. Doug has been a pioneer in developing the York Merchandising Systems. He has also presented marketing and merchandising seminars to industry professionals throughout the United States and Europe.
 Marianna Hayes, president of HALO Design Group in Mississippi, has a background in communications and journalism from Mississippi College and a strong business background from Belhaven College. Marianna began a successful freelance writing business in 1998. Serving as president, Marianna has consulted small business and non-profit clients on every aspect of their operation, especially in areas related to marketing and customer retention. In addition to conducting workshops for various business groups, she sits on several local boards. She also maintains a passion for the next generation of entrepreneurs and speaks to high school students about the benefits of entrepreneurship at every opportunity.
 Ernie Heffner, CFuE, is a second-generation funeral director and is president of Heffner Funeral Homes and Crematory Inc. Based in York, Pennsylvania, his company includes 12 funeral homes in Pennsylvania and one in New York. Ernie has owned and operated other related businesses, including a monument company, which was sold in 1987, as well as two memorial park cemeteries, which were sold in 1989. He is a former member of the ICFA board of directors and a former ICFA vice president. He graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.
 Christine Toson Hentges, CCE, is vice president of Pinelawn Memorial Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Restlawn Memorial Park in Wausau and Fort Howard Memorial Park in Green Bay. She was elected to the ICFA Board of Directors in 2002 and received her Certified Cemetery Executive designation in 2005. A fourth-generation cemeterian, Hentges is president of the Wisconsin Cemetery Association and represents the Cemetery Consumer Service Council in the state of Wisconsin
Blair Hines is a licensed landscape architect with more than twenty years of professional experience. He was an Associate at The Halvorson Company, Inc. where he worked for nine years before starting Blair Hines & Associates, LLC in 1997. He served as project manager and designer for a variety of projects including open-space and recreational planning, school and playground improvements, extensive work on historic cemeteries, bicycle paths, housing projects and private residences. Blair has highly regarded project management skills. He is particularly known for his ability to help his clients understand the constraints and potential of their sites and to work with them to realize their visions for its development.
 Thomas B. Holland, Ph.D, vice president of sales for Assurant Preneed, is responsible for development and implementation of sales, marketing and training programs throughout Canada and the United States. Formerly, Tom worked for The Liberty Corporation as director of training and national accounts development. He has held positions as agent, account executive, sales manager, district manager, regional training director, regional sales director, director of conservation and training director - field development. Tom is a certified pre-planning consultant and has held life and health insurance licenses in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri and Illinois. Before joining the insurance industry, Tom spent five years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
 Tom Johnson is the founder of Johnson Consulting Group. Tom pursued a highly successful career in the casket business and multi-site funeral home and cemetery management before serving in several key positions with Batesville Casket Company. Following Batesville, he became President and CEO of Pierce Brothers Mortuaries & Cemeteries in Los Angeles, where he grew the company into one of the largest independent funeral operations in the United States. He also founded Prime Succession, which grew from no operations to 146 funeral homes and 17 cemetery locations in only three years. Mr. Johnson's expertise in funeral home and cemetery management, combined with his strong background in banking and finance, gives him a unique understanding of matters relating to acquisitions, divestitures, and succession.
Regina Lind is sales manager at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Carol and Lowell Knopp own and manage Daniels Chapel of the Valley in La Grande, Oregon.
 Chris Lowery is director of product leadership, Batesville Casket Company, Batesville, Indiana. Previously, he served as director of marketing and strategic planning for Options by Batesville, the cremation division of Batesville Casket Company. With Hillenbrand Industries for ten years, Chris has also been involved in sales, training, product development, merchandising and research efforts. He has traveled extensively in North America for speaking engagements and training programs. In addition, he has worked with numerous funeral homes over the years to develop and test new concepts that address the changing markets related to death and human grieving. Prior to joining Batesville Casket Company, Chris was Executive Director of a private association. He holds a B.S. from Indiana University and has completed graduate coursework at the University of Indianapolis and University of Wisconsin. Chris is active in local community organizations and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Batesville Community School Corporation.
 Angela O'Callaghan, Ph.D, is the social horticulture specialist for University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. She holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry from the State University of New York, a master's in fruit and vegetable science from Cornell and a doctorate in horticulture from Cornell. She worked in biochemical research laboratories at Harvard Medical School and the State University of New York. Angela runs several gardening programs and classes, including Master Gardeners, Fundamentals of Horticulture, Patio Farming, Annual Pruning Seminar/Healthy Tree Seminar and more.
 Linda Mayo-Perez is president and chief executive officer of Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens, New York. She has 28 years of experience in the areas of non-profit executive management, community and business development. Ms. Mayo-Perez is currently pursuing a graduate degree at the Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut and is a Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator, offering workshops and spiritual retreats. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Balm in Gilead, a not-for-profit agency with a mission to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in faith based communities in the U.S. and Africa.
 Albert Mensah is a renowned motivational speaker and author of When the Drumbeat Changes, Dance a Different Dance. Born in Ghana, West Africa, Mensah found his way to this country through his scholastic ability and a vision he held since childhood-to someday come to America. Distinguising himself in sales and market penetration upon graduation from Western Maryland College, he went on to become a successful business owner. Recognizing that his life story could provide an inspiration for others to achieve their goals and face challenges, Mensah began to focus on his current career path as a speaker, author and humanitarian.
 Rick Miller is general manager for Crown Hill Cemetery Inc. in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
 Patrick Monroe is vice president, chief of operations, for Rose Hills Company in Whittier, California. Rose Hills, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Alderwoods Group, is the largest single-location funeral and cemetery operation in the United States and employs more than 500 people. Patrick has served in many capacities at Rose Hills, including senior financial analyst, director of training and development and vice president of business development. Prior to joining Rose Hills, he held positions at KPMG Peat Marwick and Home Savings of America (now known as Washington Mutual). Patrick holds an EMBA from the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management and attended UCLA and Loyola Marymount University, where he obtained a degree in accounting.
 Daniel Morris is a partner in the San Jose CPA firm of Morris & D'Angelo, and a founder of the VeraSage Institute, a think tank dedicated to promulgating and teaching Value Pricing to professionals and businesses around the world. As a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences, and a consultant to professional service firms and businesses on implementing Total Quality Service and Value Pricing, his work takes him around the world. He has been an instructor with the California CPA Education Foundation since 1998 and has authored five courses for them. Dan's business consulting has included members of the Fortune 50 along with several members of the S&P 500 and top NASDAQ listed companies. Dan's expertise integrates business strategy with total customer commitment leading to enhanced profitability through improved customer experiences. Dan graduated from the University of Oregon and started his career at Ernst & Young in San Jose. Dan is active with the California Society of CPAs, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Professional Pricing Society. Dan is frequently interviewed and quoted by various newspapers and has authored several articles for the California CPA Magazine and the Journal of Accountancy on topics ranging from export tax incentives to human capital development.
 Rick Rega, CPC, is vice president of sales and marketing, managing the Advanced Planning Division of Woodruff Family Services, LLP in Pittsburgh and Washington, Pennsylvania. He specializes in assisting families who wish to pre-plan and is capable of arranging funeral services as well as selections of cemetery property and memorials. Rick currently holds a also holds a Pennsylvania Insurance Certification, and he has served as Deputy Coroner of Westmoreland and Fayette Counties and as a Deputy Coroner in Washington County. Rick is the 9th grade Head Football Coach at Mt. Lebanon High School in Pittsburgh and is a past president of Rotary International Lodge #7330.
 M.L. Robinson, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, has 17 years of experience in environmental horticulture. He has developed programs on desert bioscapes, desert greens, environmentally friendly pest control and integrated pest management and training.
 Steven Schaal is Division Manager, Sales & Marketing, for Matthews Cremation, a division of Matthews International. Steve is responsible for all domestic and international sales and marketing functions for both the IEE/ALL brand cremation equipment manufactured in Orlando, Florida and the Elder-Davis cloth-covered and alternative caskets manufactured in Richmond, Indiana. Steve started his funeral career as a representative for the Marsellus Casket Company in Syracuse, New York. Steve went on to join The York Group, Inc. in Houston, Texas as the Director of Merchandising and eventually National Sales Manager. Steve was instrumental in the development and implementation of a national "consumer-driven" merchandising program -York Merchandising System (YMS) and the creation of numerous value-added products and services for funeral clients. This work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the popular HBO series Six Feet Under and A&E - Family Plots.
Linus Shackelford, CCE, is president and general manager of Lakeland Place Garden Park Cemetery in Brandon, Mississippi. He is an active member of ICFA and has participated in numerous conferences and educational programs across the country, including ICFA University. Shackelford dedicates much of his time speaking to civic, church and elderly groups on topics pertaining to the profession and recently has become a member of the elderly education committee of the Rankin County Chamber of Commerce. He is also involved with Bible Study Leadership at Pinelake Baptist Church and is a former bible study director for homeless and abused children at the Carres Center for First Baptist Church, Jackson, Mississippi.
 Dr. Eva Shaw is author of "What to Do When a Loved One Dies, A Practical and Compassionate Guide to Dealing with Death on Life's Terms." A nationally known speaker, recovery expert and author of more than 70 books, Shaw has been a guest expert on numerous talk shows. She has been featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, the San Diego Union Tribune and other publications and teaches at 1,200 colleges and universities worldwide. Reach Dr. Shaw at www.writeriffic.com.
Wang Ji Sheng is general manager of Shanghai Fu Shou Yuan Industrial Development Co., Qingpu Area, Shanghai, China.
 Jerry Sullivan is the owner of the Cremation Society of Illinois, Olson Burke/Sullivan Funeral Home & Cremation Center and Forest Crematory in Chicago, Illinois. A member of the funeral service profession for over 30 years, Sullivan purchased his first funeral home in 1976 and owned the first funeral home in the Chicago metropolitan area to have a crematory. He is an international delegate on the Cremation Association board. Sullivan is a past president of the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) and a past officer and board member of both the International Order of the Golden Rule and the Funeral Director Services Association of Greater Chicago. He is a frequent industry speaker on the national and international level.
 Tim Thompson is director of marketing and sales at Mount Royal Commemorative Services in Montreal, Quebec, where he has created and developed a preneed division that currently generates millions of dollars in revenue. In his seven years with Mount Royal, Tim has initiated a highly successful educational advertising program that has generated approximately 7,000 leads. In addition, he has produced and hosted a talk radio program on the cemetery and funeral business and is a regular contributor on the topic of marketing for International Cemetery and Funeral Management, Canadian Funeral News, and a Canadian cemetery publication titled Network. He has been guest speaker at the Ontario Association of Cemeteries and the New England Association of Cemeteries. Tim is a graduate of McGill University with a degree in sociology and has worked as an on-air radio broadcaster with CKAP in Kapuskasing, Ontario, a television and radio sales manager and the vice president of sales and marketing for the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes.
 Tom Van Buskirk is the manager of Linn Grove Cemetery in Greeley, Colorado, where he manages all cemetery operations including sales, service, budgeting, and purchasing. Tom has been responsible for the construction of a Memorial Bell tower from a completely private fund solicitation as well as the development and construction of five new sections, adding over four thousand interment sites to the inventory. From 1969-1980, he was manager of Resthaven and Oak Hill Cemetery, Menasha, Wisconsin where he completely renovated and rejuvenated both cemeteries. Tom has also managed and designed Landscape for Van Buskirk and Sons Nursery. Among the many professional memberships in which Mr. Van Buskirk has been involved, some include CAC Cemeteries Skills Competition Committee, CCE Certification Committee, Colorado Association of Cemeteries, and Wisconsin Cemetery Association. Thomas has been a speaker for numerous cemetery conferences and seminars for the Colorado Association of Cemeteries and the Wisconsin Cemetery Association.
 Melissa Williams, CFSP, is an embalmer and restorative artist and founder of the American Society of Embalmers, Chicago, Illinois. Johnson Williams is a licensed funeral director and embalmer with over 30 years practical experience. She is a graduate of Governors State University in Illinois and Worsham College of Mortuary Science. Johnson Williams has published over 75 articles in trade publications, as well as medical journals and is the editor of the International Shipping Section in the Blue Book. She contributed several new chapters to the 3rd revised edition of Embalming: History, Theory, and Practice and was also a chapter contributor to the new Textbook of Thanatology. Johnson Williams serves on the Ethical Practice Committee of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association and sits on the boards of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice and the Funeral Director Services Association of Greater Chicago. She is acting secretary of the Funeral Ethics Organization, a member of the Cook County Medical Examiners Disaster Response Team and a member of the Autopsy Committee of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago. Johnson Williams is the founder and executive director of the Midwest Forensic and Mortuary Support Foundation and a co-founder of the American Society of Embalmers.
 Ron Wolfe is an associate of SMBW architects, Richmond, Virginia. His experience includes his role as Project Manager for a 2,500-crypt mausoleum in Salem, Virginia; an historic cemetery master plan in Culpeper, Virginia; and a master plan and renovations to the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia. He has recently collaborated with Rick Mather Architects of London, England on the expansion and renovation of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and is currently completing the University of Virginia School of Architecture Expansion. The mausoleum in Salem, Belvedere Gardens has won state and national awards including the 2005 American Architecture Award by the Chicago Athenaeum and the 2005 Faith and Form / IFRAA Honor Award for Sacred Landscapes, by the Interfaith Forum on Religious Art and Architecture. Ron is a registered architect and has served on, and is immediate past chairman of the City of Richmond Urban Design Committee.
 Justin Zabor is a funeral director at The Zabor Funeral Home in Parma, Ohio, a business founded by his grandfather, Charles L. Zabor, a past president of the Ohio Funeral Director's Association. He is a licensed insurance agent and holds a bachelor of science in organizational communication and business management from Ohio University. Justin also is president of Justin Zabor Enterprises, a professional speaking firm specializing in programs for the funeral profession. He has entered speech competitions since a very young age and has won 130 individual awards, including three state championships and two national titles. He is a professional actor and model for television, radio and print.
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