Brookfield, Wis. - The fifth annual NFDA Asia Funeral Expo & Conference (AFE) will take place May 17-19 at the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong. This year, the Australian Funeral Directors Association and Necropolis Exhibition Russia will host events in conjunction with AFE, providing even more opportunities for funeral service professionals from around the world to build meaningful relationships, share ideas, and solve common challenges, which ultimately leads to improved service to the dying, the dead and the bereaved.

Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science is pleased to announce its Memoriam/Honorarium Brick Campaign. A commemorative brick installed in the courtyard of the college makes a timeless memorial for alumni, publications, funeral homes and companies that support the college. Your tribute can salute the past or capture the present, all the while igniting the future. The brick purchase is 100% tax deductable and supports the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science Facilities Fund.

ASD - Answering Service for Directors is pleased to welcome 10 Call Specialists to their team of highly trained professionals. Every month, hundreds of applicants apply for positions at ASD, but only a select few make it through the company's rigorous 6-month training program. Employees are carefully selected and must exhibit compassionate communication skills and be qualified to handle some of the most difficult situations.

Des Moines, IA - Homesteaders Life Company celebrated another successful year during its national sales meeting held January 16-18 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Twelve individuals were recognized for excellence in a variety of areas. They include:

R.D. Monson, Graham J. Cook Account Executive of the Year
R.D. is the Homesteaders AE for Virginia. The Graham J. Cook award recognizes the AE who best demonstrates the wide variety of qualities necessary to provide exceptional service and support to Homesteaders customers.

Batesville, IN – January 24, 2012 – Batesville, the leading provider of burial, cremation and technology solutions to licensed funeral homes, reaffirmed its mission to help families honor the lives of those they love with the launch of MeaningfulFunerals.com, a website designed to educate consumers on the value of funerals, the planning process and the significant role funeral professionals play in creating meaningful services that both honor the lives of loved ones and start families on the path to healing.

Brookfield, Wis. - Representatives from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), Cremation Association of North America (CANA), National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association (NFD&MA), KAVOD - Independent Jewish Funeral Chapels, the International Order of the Golden Rule (OGR), and Selected Independent Funeral Homes (SIFH) will come together with one voice in the nation's capital during the 2012 NFDA Advocacy Summit to advance important federal legislation that impacts funeral homes, small business and families served by funeral homes. The 2012 Advocacy Summit will take place March 7-9 at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Marshall, IL - Doric Products, Inc., a leading manufacturer of lined concrete and steel burial vaults, is pleased to announce the addition of James "Elgan" Altizer as the newest member of its sales team. Elgan is currently on the road promoting both Doric Products and Classic Metal Vaults in the Southeastern mountain region of the country.