
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE UPCOMING SPEAKERS DURING THE 2026 SEMINARS.
Please see the Speakers below for this year's conference! Please click on each box for more details. See you there!
Dr. Jason Troyer | Nationally Renowned Speaker On Many Aspects of Grief
Dr. Jason Troyer | Nationally Renowned Speaker on many Aspects of Grief
Dr. Jason Troyer is a grief expert, author, and former psychology professor &
therapist. He helps funeral homes & cemeteries connect with their communities
through his Facebook content and grief support materials and co-founded The
Healing Path Cemetery. He also provides community presentations, professional
workshops, and trainings.
Overall Learning Objective Statement
Attendees will be able to recognize 5 recent, significant changes in grief perspectives and how to adjust their services and marketing to provide exceptional service and support.
Top Three Takeaways for Attendees
Attendees will:
1) be able to identify instances of disenfranchised grief and know how to provide helpful support
2) review the grieving styles theory and understand how to educate families who may differ in their grieving styles
3) examine the importance of “continuing bonds” vs closure and recognize how this influences grief support and social media statements
Outline 1
A) Why funeral professionals must have basic knowledge of grief research and practices
B) Basic Grief concepts
Length & course of grief
C) Disenfranchised Grief
Types of Disenfranchised Grief
Practical applications of disenfranchised grief
D) Continuing Bonds vs. Cutting Ties
Freud & the origin of cutting ties
Continuing Bonds, Klass et al.
When Continuing Bonds are harmful
Practical applications of continuing bonds
E) Grieving Styles
Traditional grief work: Do we have to cry and talk?
Masculine vs. Feminine Grief – Doka & Martin
Instrumental, Intuitive, Blended, & Dissonant Grieving Styles
Practical applications of Grieving Styles
F) Stages of Grief
History behind Kubler-Ross’s Stages of Grief
New Research: Worden’s Tasks of Grief
Outline #2
A) Creating the Best Mindset
- Factors that increase conflict & mistrust
- Challenges related to expected loss
- Challenges related to unexpected loss
- Unknown backstory/family conflict
- Families lack of experience with funerals & planning
- Fear related to finances
B) Preventing Conflict Before It Begins
5 Strategies from Family & Individual Counseling/Therapy
1) Everyone talks
2) They set the priorities
3) Reading the obituary
4) Asking about the deceased
5) Everyone gets a job
C) Why Do They Act That Way?
Family Dynamics
- Characteristics of Healthy vs Unhealthy Families
- Changing Family Roles
Defense Mechanisms in the Funeral Situations (with strategies)
Denial
Repression
Displacement
Projection
Reaction Formation
General Strategies
- “No Regrets” Discussion
- Summary & “Marching Orders”
Avoiding Self-Imposed Traps
- The Trap of Urgency
- The Trap of “I Must Serve Every Family”
How Owners & Managers Can Help
Outline #3
Progression of Services Offered by Funeral Professionals
Partnership with Clergy
- Historical & Current Status
- Erosion of Relationship
- Ramifications/ New Reality
- Replacing Therapists?
The Void
- Competition (Direct Disposal, Hotels, etc.)
- Filling the Void
Communicating Your Expertise
Interruption Marketing vs. Inbound Marketing
- Why Interruption Marketing isn’t efficient
- Definition of Inbound Marketing
- ex. Missouri Star Quilt Company
- Adjusting Inbound Marketing to Funeral Service (Community Engagement)
Community Engagement
- Who are we engaging?
- Benefits of Community Engagement
- Various forms of Community Engagement/Components
- Comforting Information
- examples
- Ritual Guidance & Value of Funerals
- competitive advantage
- Community Events
- engaging families and local professionals
- Grief Support
- grief support as outreach
- Fit with your Philosophy/Mission
Benefits to Community Engagement
This presentation is 3 CEU's.
Pending Approval for PA, OH, NY, W.VA & APFSP

JUNE 23rd, 2026
Sponsored by Great Lakes Vault and Pre-Cast LLC.

DR. JOSEPH A. MARSAGLIA | CFSP
Dr. Joseph A. Marsaglia, EdD, CFSP, PIMS, Dean Emeritus
Starting in 1995, Dr. Joseph Marsaglia served as the Dean of Faculty and Students Instructor, Clinical Embalming Supervisor at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.
Prior to his time at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, Dr. Joseph Marsaglia served as a Sargeant in the United States Marine Corps. He was also a police officer on the Philadelphia Police Force, and a participant in recovery efforts of US Air Flight 427 in 1994 and an earthquake in Kobe, Japan in 1995.
He has an extensive teaching experience and background that includes coursework in business, sociology, psychology, Thanatology, and funeral service law. He also has written multiple articles and presented all over the United States.
This presentation will include issues and protocols associated with the funeral director's role as a mandated reporter. Identifying and reporting child abuse by funeral directions has become law in most jurisdictions. His presentations are always enlightening.
Child Abuse
Abused children are in urgent need of an effective child protective service to prevent them from suffering further injury and impairment. Recognizing suspected child abuse and providing a more complete reporting of suspected child abuse is essential to ensure the child’s well-being and to preserve the integrity of the family.
COURSE OBJECTIVE
• Identify the categories of child abuse
• Recognize the signs of child abuse
• Understand the reporting requirements for suspected child abuse
• Discuss the role of Mandated Reporter as related to the Department of Human Services and Bureau of Professional and Occupation Affairs; Act 31 of 2014
COURSE DESCRIPTION
To provide comprehensive training to funeral directors and other mandated reporters relating to child abuse recognition and reporting requirements under Act 31.
COURSE OUTLINE
1. Description of Child Welfare in State of PA
2. General Protective Services – non-serious injury or neglect
3. Present the Department of Human Services hierarchy; responsibilities of the Office of Children; Youth and Families; Purpose of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.
4. Define Components of Child Abuse; All categories of child abuse; Exclusions of Child Abuse
5. Provisions and responsibilities for reporting suspected child abuse including types of reporters; the Reporting Process; Protection for Reporters; Penalties for Failure to Report; Mandated Reporters Right-to-Know
6. Recognition of Child Abuse

JUNE 17th, 2025
Sponsored by WPFDA

Sherrie Dunlevy | Inspirationista, Author, Speaker, TV & Podcast Host
Former NBC News Anchor Sherrie Dunlevy served the Wheeling, WV area for nearly 40 years both on television and radio.
Today she is a best selling author, Inspirational speaker, and host of the Graduating Grief podcast and host of the TV series “For Mature Audiences”
Her Number one best selling book “How Can I Help?” was written to to help people know exactly what to say and do in an effort to support the people they love when they are hurting.
Sherrie has found a way to "graduate" from the pain of losing a child, and a high profile career and redesign a life she loves living. She now shares with others, how they too can learn, grow, and expand their lives after tragedies, losses and disappointments.
She now trains professionals on how to better connect with people personally and professionally so that everyone they meet feels like they have been seen, heard and valued.
As a self proclaimed Inspirationista, Sherrie's passion lies in inspiring and encouraging people to step beyond their awkwardness, discomfort and/or pain so they can step fully into living with purpose, passion and JOY.
The advance of technology is advancing mankind, while at the same time, creating a generation of people who are unable to communicate beyond a keyboard. This break down in communication skills is just part of the problem in people feeling less connected at home, in the workplace and with life. What is causing this great disconnect and how can we learn and strengthen skills that will help us personally and professionally? In this presentation Sherrie Dunlevy takes a look at the root of the problem and explains how much of the disconnect can be linked back to loneliness and grief. She also shares strategies you can use to help you feel better connected while making others feel valued, heard and understood.
Learning Objectives:
Three reasons why people are feeling disconnected.
-The epidemic of loneliness and the great disconnect.
- What causes disconnection?
- Three things needed to improve connection in the workplace, with those you serve and in your personal lives.
- 5 languages of Appreciation
Key Take-Aways:
- Understand why people feel so disconnected from one another
- How to better form a connection with the clients we serve
- How to form meaningful connections with those you employ
How this benefits those in the funeral industry:
- Improving connection and communication skills in the workplace creates a healthy workplace culture, improves morale, and creates clarity of job expectations and performance
- Learning to connect with clients in a way that makes them feel valued, heard, and understood can increase business through word of mouth.
- Increased connection inside the community you serve is enhanced, respected and appreciated

JUNE 24th, 2026
Sponsor: TBD
Anna Nesbit | Licensed Funeral Director, PA Insurance Producer, & Certified Preplanning Consultant
Anna F. Zvirman-Nesbit is a lifelong resident of Plum Borough, PA and a 2003 graduate of Plum Senior High School. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Slippery Rock University in 2006 and graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in 2007, where she served as President of her class.
Anna is a licensed funeral director, license insurance producer, and co-owner of Soxman Funeral Home, where she coordinates the firm’s Aftercare and Advanced Funeral Planning programs. She holds the Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) designation, the highest professional credential in funeral service, reflecting her commitment to excellence, continuing education, and leadership. Under her direction, Soxman Funeral Home has achieved the prestigious NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award and expanded its services to include Lilo, the firm’s bereavement care dog, providing additional comfort and support to grieving families.
A Certified Funeral Celebrant earned through Insight Institute and Certified Preplanning Consultant (CPC) through the National Funeral Directors Association, Anna specializes in meaningful service personalization, and advance funeral planning. She has also contributed nationally to the profession as a speaker, presenting at the 2025 NFDA Professional Women’s Conference and the NFDA International Convention and Expo.
Anna is an active member of NFDA, PFDA, ACFDA, ICCFA, and the Plum Chamber of Commerce, and currently serves as Secretary of the Allegheny County Funeral Directors Association. She was inducted into the 2024 Plum High School Distinguished Alumni class, and recognized with the 2025 Pittsburgh Magazine Women in Business Award.
She resides in Plum with her husband, Jim, and their children, Ethan and Evelyn, and is a member of Holy Family Parish, Our Lady of Joy Church. When not working she enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, and spending time with her family.
Purpose: Set tone, normalize differences, reduce defensiveness
Interactive warm-up:
DISC Basics + Personality Assessment
Purpose: Build self-awareness before discussing others
Introduce DISC
Brief overview of styles (funeral-specific examples):
DISC Assessment Activity
Table/Group discussion prompts:
Breakout Session #1: DISC & Workplace Communication
Purpose: Apply DISC to staff dynamics
Scenario focus: internal funeral home communication among staff/colleagues
Scenario examples:
Small groups:
Guiding questions:
Each group shares one key insight.
Large Group Debrief
You facilitate:
Comfort Break
DISC & Families Under Stress
Purpose: Tie personality awareness directly to service quality and common issues in
arrangements
Interactive prompts:
Breakout Session #2: Family Scenarios Using DISC
Purpose: Practice adapting communication in real situations
Scenario examples:
Groups discuss:
Wrap-Up & Takeaways
Purpose: Leave attendees with clarity and confidence
Individual reflection:
Lead with awareness
Adapt to others (not your preference)
Assume difference, not intent
Put it into Practice
With colleagues
With families
Daily check (2 minutes)
1. What was my personality’s communication default?
2. What was theirs?
3. What will I adjust next time?
Bottom line:
Listen. Adapt. Remember, It’s not personal, it’s personality.

JUNE 24th, 2026
Sponsor by: TBD