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Sheraton Suites Akron Cuyahoga Falls
1989 Front St.
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
The deadline to reserve a room under the OFDA group rate has passed. If you still wish to stay at the hotel, the OFDA had arranged a block of rooms, but the final day to secure the group rate of $159.00 per night plus tax was Friday, September 13, 2024. Please contact the hotel directly for current availability and rates.
Dan is the Stakeholder Support Manager for the Bureau of Vital Statistics. He oversees the VS Helpdesk team and Vital Statistics training for all of their partners in funeral homes and local health districts in Ohio. Dan has been with the Bureau of Vital Statistics for the past eleven years.
Don is a fourth-generation funeral director involved with his family’s funeral firm in the Southeast Cleveland area. In addition to being a funeral director he is an attorney who is a principal with the law firm of Donald B. Ferfolia, Jr., LTD. located in Sagamore Hills, Ohio. The combination of law, funeral service, and family business experiences have provided Don with a unique skill set that enables him to assist clients in solving many different types of problems. He enjoys helping firms deal with the daily challenges of running a closely held business including proactively managing accounts receivable issues and succession planning. Don can be reached at 440-249-4655 or don@ferfolialaw.net.
Barb has more than 20 years of experience in the performance and management of health, safety, and environment (HSE) projects for domestic and international organizations across dozens of industries and market sectors. Special expertise in conducting HSE compliance audits, health and safety training, and the development and implementation of written HSE programs. Experience delivering multi-media training courses in a variety of formats including instructor-led courses, webinars, computer-based instruction, and HSEEP-compliant seminars, workshops, drills, tabletop exercises, and functional exercises. Also experienced in the development of emergency plans and Continuity of Operations (COOP)/Continuity of Government (COG) plans.
Poul has worked in the funeral profession for over 25 years and holds a funeral director’s license and embalmer’s license in several states. As an attorney, Poul is admitted to practice law in Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia.
He operates and is principal of Lemasters Consulting, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, a consulting business entirely for the deathcare profession, which includes funeral homes, funeral directors/embalmers, cemeteries, cemeterians, cremationists, crematory owners, as well as the suppliers to all of them. He assists in areas of legal, compliance, regulatory, and operational issues. Poul also serves in various roles with national groups such as: General Counsel for ICCFA (International Cemetery, Crematory and Funeral Association); Legal Counsel for NCBVA (National Concrete Burial Vault Association); Legal Advisor to CCC (Catholic Cemetery Conference).
Lauren is a licensed funeral director and embalmer at Thompson-Geesey Funeral Homes in Montpelier & Pioneer, Ohio.
Lauren graduated from St. Ursula Academy in Toledo in 2006 and went on to graduate from CCMS with her Associates of Applied Science in Mortuary Science and her Bachelor’s Degree of Mortuary Science in 2010. She completed her apprenticeship at Newcomer Funeral Homes in Dayton and worked there as a director until December of 2012. In December of 2012, she moved to Williams County, Ohio and in January of 2013 began her career with Thompson-Geesey Funeral Homes.
Lauren is an active member of the OFDA Board of Directors serving as an At-Large Director from 2020 until the completion of her appointment in 2024. She also serves as the co-chair of OFDA`S Member Engagement Task Force and is a member of both the Leadership Committee and Finance Committee with OFDA. On a local level, Lauren serves as the secretary of District One Ohio Funeral Directors, the Vice President of the Montpelier Chamber of Commerce and as Treasurer for the Pioneer Area Chamber of Commerce.