For Immediate Release: August 3, 2020
Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Policy Board met August 1 and elected Chris E. Christian, CFSP, CCO, and Beatrice "Bea" Lewanduski, CFSP, to serve as at-large representatives on the association's Board of Directors. They will begin two-year terms of service immediately following the 2020 NFDA Virtual International Convention & Expo.
Christian, who is the co-owner of Christian-Sells Funeral Home in Rogersville, Tenn., is a first-generation funeral director who began working in the profession at age 15. He has been a dedicated leader in the funeral profession, having served in many roles with the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association, including a term as president. Christian has also been active with NFDA, having serves a member of the Budget Task Force and as his state’s representative to the Policy Board.
In video remarks made during his campaign, Christian said, “We must maintain strong, solid leadership to support the fantastic team at the National Funeral Directors Association and I am ready for that challenge.”
Lewanduski has been a funeral director for 43 years and currently serves as the manager of D'Andrea Brothers Funeral Home in Copiague, N.Y. A passionate funeral service volunteer, Lewanduski has been actively involved with her local association and the New York State Funeral Directors Association. Nationally, Lewanduski has served on the NFDA Advocacy Committee and as New York’s representative to the Policy Board.
“It is my nature to give my all where I ask to serve and when others ask me to serve. And that will be my focus and my promise to NFDA in every capacity where I may be given that honor to do so,” noted Lewanduski in a video campaign statement.
In May, NFDA announced that the following individuals were elected by acclamation to serve as officers on the 2020-21 Board of Directors: President-elect John O. "Jack" Mitchell IV, CFSP, CCSP; Treasurer Douglas R. "Dutch" Nie II, CFSP, CCO; and Secretary Christopher P. Robinson, CFSP, CCO. The 2020-21 NFDA Board of Directors will be led by President Randall P. “Randy” Anderson, CFSP, CCO. The officers will serve one-year terms of office that begin following the 2020 NFDA International Convention & Expo.
Current NFDA President R. Bryant Hightower Jr., CFSP, will continue his service on the Board with a one-year term as immediate past president that commences at the end of the 2020 NFDA Convention. Also continuing their service on the Board of Directors are 2019-21 At-large Representatives Linda Allan, CFSP, and Daniel J. Ford, CFSP, CCSP.
More information about Christian and Lewanduski can be found on the NFDA website, www.nfda.org/vote.
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.
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Note: Photos of the newly-elected at-large representatives is available for use by the media. Please email NFDA Public Relations Manager Jessica Koth (jkoth@nfda.org) for more information.
Contact: Jessica Koth, 262-814-1536, jkoth@nfda.org