Call for Entries
Funeral professionals are unsung heroes, working tirelessly to provide excellent service to families who need them the most. There are funeral directors who deliver exceptional services, provide community support and are role models for funeral service.

Do you know one of these death-care professionals?

If so, we are now accepting nominations for American Funeral Director's annual 'Funeral Director of the Year' Award.

• Who Should Enter?
• Recognition
• Judging Criteria
• How to Enter
• Deadline
• Previous Winners
• FAQs
• Print this Page

Who Should Enter?   top

This award program is open to all funeral professionals who were employed as a licensed funeral director for AT LEAST one year. It is open to all funeral director job titles – from embalmer to funeral home manager. All entries will be treated with the strictest confidence. The winner should be prepared to be interviewed by AFD's editors for the magazine's December awards issue.

Recognition   top

AFD's Funeral Director of the Year will receive:

• An award plaque
• Recognition in a feature article in American Funeral Director's December issue
• His or her picture on the cover of American Funeral Director's December issue
• Promotion via press releases and other marketing initiatives
• An announcement online
• One-year subscription to American Funeral Director
• One FREE registration to the 2013 Funeral Service Business Plan in New Orleans. The free registration can be transferred to a designated person of your staff.

Judging Criteria   top

• Number of years in position
• Community involvement
• Role model for funeral service
• Innovative approach to funeral service
• Displays outstanding business acumen in sales/marketing/customer service
• Demonstrates a compassionate approach to working with customer families

How to Enter   top

We want to hear how you or the person you are nominating best match the judging category criteria. The following MUST be provided:

• A fully filled out and legible entry form.
• At least ONE letter of recommendation.
• A 300- to 500-word personal statement of why you or the funeral professional you are nominating should win the award.
• A detailed synopsis that includes: Areas of responsibility, specific successes, business hurdles/challenges that have been overcome and a description of your best client relationships.
• At LEAST one example of the funeral home's/funeral professional's involvement in the community (more examples and photos of said events are encouraged).
• Supporting materials, which include AT LEAST two print marketing samples, and at least three photos of your funeral home. You can also include any newspaper/TV coverage, additional photographs and additional photos of the funeral professional nominated.

Deadline   top

Deadline: July 31, 2013 (postmarked)

Previous Winners   top



2012 Winner: Martha McKneely Thompson
In 2012, we celebrated Martha McKneely Thompson, owner of Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Homes in Louisiana, as the recipient of our Funeral Director of the Year award.
Download a PDF of the article

2011 Winner: Kenneth R. Howe
In 2011, we celebrated Kenneth R. Howe, CEO of Holman Howe Funeral Homes in Missouri, as the recipient of our Funeral Director of the Year award.
Download a PDF of the article

FAQs   top

Please contact Patti Bartsche at pbartsche@katesboylston.com or 732-730-2583.

What sorts of supporting materials are you looking for?
We need a short synopsis of why the nominee/team should receive an award. Please, no more than 3 pages long, and we want to hear how you or the person you are nominating best match the judging criteria.

Who will be judging my entries?
We will have a distinguished panel of internal judges from our editorial staff. Your entries will be held in strict confidence.

When and how will the winners be announced?
Finalists will be notified in October and honored in the American Funeral Director magazine's November issue. The winner will be profiled in December.