Danielle Burmeister
Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Homesteaders Life Company
Danielle Burmeister is Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Homesteaders Life Company, a national leader in secure, reliable preneed funding. Danielle grew up in a small apartment above her family’s funeral home, cleaning cars and playing “Taps” at graveside services. She later worked in event marketing for the Iowa State Fair and as a professor of English and Communication at a nearby college, before finding her way back to funeral service. In Danielle’s current role, she leads the team responsible for all aspects of Homesteaders’ marketing and branding. Danielle has a Bachelor’s degree from Central College and a Master’s degree from Iowa State University.
Speaker Details:
⚐ ADDRESS: 5700 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines, Iowa, 50265
✉ EMAIL:
dburmeister@homesteaderslife.com
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PHONE:
(515) 822-8103
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WEBSITE:
homesteaderslife.com
Courtney Gould-Miller
Chief Growth Officer
Homesteaders Life Company
Courtney Gould Miller is the Chief Growth Officer for Homesteaders Life Company. She is responsible for leading enterprise-wide growth initiatives, including digital innovation, consumer engagement strategies and the expansion of solutions that support funeral homes and the families they serve. Prior to joining Homesteaders, Miller served as President of Commercial Markets at Tribute Technology, where she oversaw marketing, sales and account management and helped launch industry-leading digital tools, including AI-powered solutions. Earlier in her career, she was an owner and leader at MKJ Marketing, advising funeral homes on digital strategy and growth planning, and founded Lumen Cremation, an online cremation provider that was later acquired. Miller began her professional career as an attorney at O’Melveny & Myers LLP. She holds a bachelor’s degree in human and organizational development and political science from Vanderbilt University and a Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law.
Speaker Details:
⚐ ADDRESS: 5700 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines, Iowa, 50265
✉ EMAIL:
cgouldmiller@homesteaderslife.com
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PHONE:
(310) 467-8219
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WEBSITE:
homesteaderslife.com
Laurie Covington
Chief Strategy Officer
Homesteaders Life Company
Laurie Covington is the Chief Strategy Officer for Homesteaders Life Company. She works with the leaders at Homesteaders to translate vision into action on Homesteaders continual journey to provide more value to policyowners and funeral home customers. Laurie has more than 20 years’ experience in financial services and insurance, with much of her career working in software development to support those industries. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature from Dordt University and her MBA from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business.
Speaker Details:
⚐ ADDRESS: 5700 Westown Pkwy, West Des Moines, Iowa, 50265
✉ EMAIL:
lcovington@homesteaderslife.com
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PHONE:
(515) 440-7833
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WEBSITE:
homesteaderslife.com
Leili McMurrough
Program Director, President
Worsham College of Mortuary Science
Leili McMurrough is the President of Worsham College of Mortuary Science, where she leads one of the nation’s oldest mortuary science programs and helps shape the next generation of funeral service professionals. A licensed funeral director, embalmer, and attorney, she brings a unique combination of legal expertise and hands-on industry experience to her role.
Leili earned her undergraduate degree from Lehigh University, her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law, and her degree in Mortuary Science from the Simmons Institute of Funeral Service. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Education at Johns Hopkins University. Her leadership extends beyond Worsham, as she has served as Chair of the Committee on Accreditation for the American Board of Funeral Service Education.
Leili has presented across the country on topics such as multi-generational workplace dynamics and funeral home management, offering practical insights for today’s evolving workforce. She also serves as a Trustee of the Funeral Service Foundation and is co-owner of McMurrough Funeral Chapel in Libertyville, Illinois, where she remains closely connected to serving families in her community.
Speaker Details:
⚐ ADDRESS: 495 Northgate Parkway, Wheeling, IL, 60090
✉ EMAIL:
lmcmurrough@worsham.edu
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PHONE:
(847) 808 - 8444
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WEBSITE:
worsham.edu
Quinn Haisley-Wheeler
Director of Funeral Service Operations/Pet Services
Haisley Funeral & Cremation Service
Quinn Haisley-Wheeler is a licensed funeral director and embalmer and serves as Director of Funeral Service Operations for her family’s funeral and cremation businesses on Florida’s Treasure Coast, including Haisley Funeral & Cremation Service, Treasure Coast Cremations, and Haisley Pet Loss Services. A Fort Pierce native, Quinn grew up in the funeral profession and is proud to continue the legacy her family has built in serving the community with compassion and integrity. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and her funeral service degree from St. Petersburg College.
Quinn is actively involved in advancing the profession and her local community. She serves as the Region 5 Director on the Board of the Independent Funeral Directors of Florida and is a leader of the Rooters 4-H Club. She is also an active member of St. Bernadette Catholic Church. Quinn is passionate about education, outreach, and helping families understand their options so they can make thoughtful, confident decisions about funeral and cremation planning.
Speaker Details:
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ADDRESS:
3015 Okeechobee Rd, Fort Pierce, FL, 34947
✉ EMAIL:
Quinn@HaisleyFuneralHome.com p
✆ PHONE: 772-201-7986
⎚ WEBSITE: haisleyfuneralhome.com
Wanda Sizemore
Onboarding Specialist
Envision Strategic Partners
Wanda Sizemore began her career in the funeral profession in 1997 as a preneed sales consultant, after nearly a decade in the insurance and financial sector, earning her insurance license in 1988. Over the years, she developed expertise in sales, management, training, meeting facilitation, negotiation, and consulting. A Certified Celebrant and Certified Preplanning Consultant, Wanda has earned numerous service awards and sales honors. Passionate about giving back, she has served on boards, committees, and chaired national events within the funeral industry. Wanda finds the greatest fulfillment in making a meaningful impact—whether by supporting families or mentoring others within the profession.
Speaker Details:
⚐ ADDRESS: 189 East Fort Union Blvd. Midvale, UT 84047
✉ EMAIL:
wanda@envisioncares.com
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PHONE:
515-321-1626
⎚ WEBSITE: envisioncares.com
Dr. Camelia Clarke
Owner and Licensed Funeral Director
Paradise Memorial Funeral and Cremation Services
Dr. Clarke is a longtime native of Milwaukee, WI. She has worked as a death care expert in the funeral industry for nearly 30 years. She is the co-owner of Paradise Memorial Funeral & Cremation Services, Leon L. Williamson Funeral & Cremation Services, and the Cremation Center of Milwaukee. She is the Past President of the Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association and has held leadership positions with various trade associations. She served as a Funeral Service Advisory Board Member at Milwaukee Area Technical College.
Dr. Clarke has extensive for-profit and non-profit board experience. She’s held various board roles where she’s managed the governance of leadership teams and large budgets. In addition, she’s managed multiple restructuring processes that helped numerous organizations to move beyond crisis stabilization to sustainable change.
In 2022, Dr. Clarke was elected to the board of directors of Federated Mutual Insurance Companies, a Fortune 1000 company in Owatonna, Minnesota, where she serves on the executive, investment, and compensation committees.
She is a founding member of the Wisconsin Chapter of Entrepreneurial Organization and an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter in Milwaukee, WI.
Dr. Clarke graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science. She also earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI, an Executive MBA from Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, and a Doctor of Business Administration program (DBA) from the University-Wisconsin Whitewater. She has published research in top-tier academic journals.
She is the proud wife of Marcel and mother to Raja’ee, Jazz, Mariah, and Mia.
Speaker Details:
⚐ ADDRESS: 7625 W Appleton Ave Milwaukee, WI 53222
✉ EMAIL:
camelia@paradisememorialfh.com
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PHONE:
(414) 461-8000
⎚ WEBSITE: paradisememorialfuneralhome.com
