PRESS RELEASE
Brookfield, WI — Due to the unprecedented, ongoing public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has decided to cancel its 2021 Advocacy Summit. NFDA expects to hold its Advocacy Summit next year and has scheduled the event for May 4-6, 2022.
NFDA leadership and staff continue to prioritize the health and safety of meeting attendees and they appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding of the need to not hold events at this time.
“The NFDA Board of Directors is disappointed we will not be gathering for the 2021 Advocacy Summit,” said CEO Christine Pepper. “They did not take this decision lightly and looked at a variety of factors, such as rates of infection and public health guidance in our host city, the health and safety plans of event venues, and feedback from attendees. To keep attendees and staff safe, they ultimately determined it was in everyone’s best interest to cancel this year’s event. The Board of Directors looks forward to seeing everyone in our nation’s capital next year, even if our event may look different due to health and safety precautions.”
“There is so much NFDA accomplished in D.C. in 2020, from getting funeral service professionals designated as critical infrastructure workers and included in Phase 1A of federal guidance for the COVID vaccine to the passage of the BRAVE Act,” said NFDA Senior Vice President of Advocacy Lesley Witter. “Even though we will not gather for the Advocacy Summit, we will build on this momentum and continue to advance the interests of the profession and the families you serve.”
“NFDA could not have accomplished all we did last year without the support of members,” said Pepper. “When we asked you to write to your members of Congress urging them to support the BRAVE Act and to contact the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine about prioritizing funeral service professionals for the COVID vaccine, you stepped up and answered the call. Collectively, we have a stronger voice and we are looking forward to your continued positive contributions to our advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. During the year, there will be many opportunities for you to roll your sleeves up and help advocate on behalf of your chosen profession and those you serve.”
NFDA is the world’s leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.
