SPEAKERS

**Lanae Strovers**

**Helping — Not Heightening Conflict**
**2 CE’s**

Training

National Funeral Directors Association

Lanae Strovers serves as the Trainer for NFDA and delivers the NFDA Arranger Training suite of education opportunities. She is a first-generation funeral director and strives to help families personalize services honoring their loved ones. She was called to funeral service after the death of a close friend whose “cookie-cutter” funeral didn’t tell his story. She knew there was a better way. Lanae has an associate degree in general studies as well as an associate degree in Mortuary Science from Des Moines Area Community College.

She served at Hamiltons Funeral Home until 2026. Lanae currently holds her license at Caldwell- Parrish Funeral Home in Urbandale, Iowa, where she is a funeral director and the community outreach coordinator. Lanae is President of The Final Salute, a non-profit that helps ensure all unclaimed cremated remains are laid to rest respectfully.

Helping — Not Heightening Conflict –2-hour presentation

Funeral professionals regularly work with families during emotionally intense and stressful situations. This session explores the real-world challenges that can arise during funeral arrangements and how professionals can navigate them with confidence and empathy.

Participants will examine common sources of conflict, including complex family dynamics, communication breakdowns, and financial stress.

Through case studies, group discussion, and practical communication techniques, attendees will learn how to guide respectful conversations, manage conflict effectively, and help families make difficult decisions. The session also provides tools for discussing financial realities in a transparent, compassionate, and professional way.

Participants will leave with practical strategies to navigate challenging interactions, maintain professionalism under pressure, and better support families during one of the most difficult moments in their lives.

Katherine Kosloski

**Children’s Book Author**
**Every Page Has a Purpose 1 CE**

Katherine Kosloski is the author and publisher of award-winning, #1 bestselling children's books and the creator of Kat Socks Publishing. Her passion for helping children understand difficult experiences has led her to write and coauthor books that help families navigate important moments in a child's life.

Katherine is the coauthor and creator of In Loving Memory: A Child's Journey to Understanding a Funeral and Starting the Grieving Process and In Loving Memory: A Child's Journey to Understanding a Cremation Funeral and Starting the Grieving Process. Created in partnership with funeral director Lacie Brueckner, the books were developed to help funeral professionals and families give children a voice, help them understand what is happening, and allow them to participate in the funeral process in a way that feels comfortable for them.

Throughout her writing career, Katherine's books have received six national awards, and she has traveled throughout the country for author events, school visits, and book signings. Her other works include Pickles the Dog series, Babies of the Badlands, I'm a Spinosaurus, Bigger Than a T-Rex, and Goodbye Bella, a Pet Loss Story.

Katherine lives in North Dakota and is passionate about using storytelling to help people, especially children, understand, cope with, and find meaning in life's difficult moments.