September 2, 2022

In 2021, businesses added an unprecedented 3.8 million jobs. But at the same time, workforce participation remains below pre-pandemic levels,
meaning we have 3.4 million fewer Americans working today compared to February 2020.

I often remind myself there is no love without loss. And there is no integration of loss without the experience of mourning.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the ongoing spread of the monkeypox virus in the United States
is a Public Health Emergency (PHE). This action further strengthens and accelerates the Biden-Harris Administration’s response in recognition of the continued rapid transmission of monkeypox in the U.S. and globally, and signals the seriousness and urgency
with which the Administration is responding. The announcement comes on the heels of President Biden
appointing Robert Fenton of the Federal Emergency Management Agency as White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator and Dr. Demetre
Daskalakis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator.

Funeral directors play a critical role in obtaining information researchers need to examine whether a person’s job could be related to their cause of death. The data may be used in public health prevention and intervention activities. To ensure the best data are collected, it is important to: 1) understand that occupation is different from industry,
2) collect usual occupation and corresponding industry, and 3) provide
sufficient detail of the occupation and industry. If the occupation and industry information on a death certificate is incomplete or inaccurate, researchers will not be able to correctly identify links between a cause of death and a specific occupation or industry.

Katie Baca, Just Cremation Montana Leadership Scholarship The NFDA Leadership Conference was a fantastic opportunity to meet new people in funeral service and learn more about how our profession operates across the country. It was motivating to meet so many others who are also looking to develop their skills and the industry of funeral service

The long-lasting repercussions of COVID-19 are only just now being fully understood as data from the last two years becomes more widely accessible. Data from the 2022 Cremation and Burial Report, released by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA),
shows that one of the most notably impacted is the funeral service profession.

It all started in 1922 when Wilford F. Bell began working as an assistant at the Tucker Funeral Home in Malta. He wasn’t licensed yet, and Mr. Tucker wanted Wilford to get his training and license to practice in funeral service.

I had the honor of representing the MFDA in Orlando, Florida, at the Leadership Conference, where I served
as the MFDA State Association representative. I cast a ballot on behalf of our state for the At-large Representatives on the NFDA Board of Directors.