The ICCFA is proud to celebrate a powerful milestone: last year’s launch of our inaugural 40 Under 40 Award program. This recognition shines a spotlight on the rising leaders of the deathcare profession—those who are already shaping the future of our work with innovation, compassion, and dedication.
Honoring the Next Generation of Leaders
In 2024, colleagues, supervisors, and peers nominated an impressive group of young professionals for their outstanding contributions. From funeral service innovation to cemetery operations, from community engagement to thought leadership, each of these honorees embodies the qualities that make our profession thrive.
The winners of the 2024 ICCFA 40 Under 40 Award are:
- Jennifer Yessenia Aguilar Franco de Lopez – Señoriales Corporación de Servicio
- Nicolas Andrade – Parque de las Memorias
- Candace Aramburu – Fairmount Memorial Association, Heritage Funeral Home
- Liz Bagley – Gorsline Runciman Funeral Home
- Molly Barwick – Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum
- Steven Berkoff – Memorial Reefs International
- Grace Birdwell – Greenlawn Funeral Home Inc.
- John Blevins – Park Lawn Corporation, Williams Funeral Home
- Lauren Buzzard – Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service
- Christina Chao – SCI
- Ka Lok Chung – Peace Of Mind Funeral Services
- Carlos Davenport – Mack’s Funeral Home & Cremation Service
- Pierce Dempsey – Leaf Cremation
- Luke Densow – Park Lawn Corporation
- Kacie Derby – Park Lawn Corporation, Baue Funeral Homes
- Billy Eaton – Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions
- James Fletcher – Matthews Aurora Funeral Solutions
- Evan Frew – BIONDAN USA
- Ashlinn Goodman – Envision Strategic Partners
- Lauren Hogan – Park Lawn Corporation
- Katey Houston – Return Home
- Emily Howell – Newcomer Funeral Service Group / Dove Southeast Chapel
- Yuri Marleni Juarez Gomez – Señoriales Corporación de Servicio
- Andrew Kennedy – Live Oak Bank
- Joelle Kerfoot – SCI, Dignity Memorial
- Katie LaBella – St. Michael’s Cemetery
- Ryan Milley – Forest Hills Cemetery
- Nikole Mitchell – SCI, Evergreen Washelli
- Manlio Alexis Emmanuel Morales – Señoriales Corporación de Servicio
- Dagny Neel-Fitzpatrick – Jefferson Memorial Cemetery, Funeral Home, Crematory & Arboretum
- Ana Palencia – Señoriales Corporación de Servicio
- Shane Pudenz – Carriage Services
- Ashlynn Rickord Werner – Plotbox Ltd
- Sandra Robledo – Mont Meta Funeral Home
- Brie Smith – Return Home
- Nick Timpe – webCemeteries
- Tiffany Ung – Cypress Lawn Cemetery Association
- Mark Vandermeersch – Park Lawn Corporation
- Sammy Villanueva – Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CCM
- Deauna Wright – Ridout’s Southern Heritage SCI
Recognition and Opportunities Ahead
These honorees are more than award recipients—they are torchbearers for the profession. Each winner has been featured in Memento Mori, celebrated across ICCFA’s social media channels, and were formally recognized at the 2025 ICCFA Experience in Las Vegas.
To further support their growth, every honoree also received a $500 educational scholarship from the ICCFA Educational Foundation to attend the upcoming 2025 ICCFA Leadership Summit, October 21–23 in Knoxville, Tennessee—a hands-on educational experience that will allow them to connect, learn, and continue inspiring positive change.
Click here to read last year’s full press release honoring the winners.
