Mike Nicodemus is Vice President, Cremation Services, NFDA,. He is a licensed funeral director and former vice president of cremation operations at Hollomon-Brown Funeral Homes & Crematory (with 8 locations in Tidewater, Virginia), where he worked for 34 years. Mike is licensed to practice in the states of Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science and a member of the PIMS Board of Directors. He served as President of the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) from October 2011-August 2012, and was Chair of the CANA Operators Certification Program for seven years. Mike has written articles for funeral industry trade publications and frequently presents educational sessions at national conferences, via distance learning and as an instructor for the NFDA Cremation Certification Program.

Timothy Copeland, NFDA Trainer, has over 35 years of experience as a licensed funeral director, cremation educator and end-of-life care consultant. Tim owned and operated Copeland Funeral Home and has held various leadership positions, including trustee of the New York State Funeral Directors Association PrePlan Trust and a board member of the New York State Funeral Directors Association. He is a certified practitioner of Dignity Therapy and co-author of a chapter pertaining to end-of-life decision- making in the Handbook of Thanatology. As a former educator at Hudson Valley Community College, Tim mentored the upcoming generation of funeral professionals, focusing on communication, ethics and grief support. His presentations, which are delivered at national and state conventions, concentrate on funeral ethics, cremation protocols and meaningful family engagement. Tim holds a Master of Science in Thanatology from Marian University.