Unleashing greatness in women of the funeral and death care profession
Funeral Women Lead Organization was born out of Lisa Baue’s vision to expand the possibillities women in the death care profession to build community and receive support, mentoring, and training as they become leaders.
How we began
The time has come for funeral women to lead
The Time Has Come for
Funeral Women
to Lead
Despite the influx of talented female professionals, longstanding industry practices have left many feeling unseen and unsupported. Something had to be done.
In mid-2024 Funeral Women Lead founder Lisa Baue initiated conversations and gatherings with trusted advisors and supporters to explore pulling together resources to support women.
“Women have been telling me for years that they need more support, more mentorship, and more guidance on how to grow as leaders in a male-dominated profession,” Lisa said. “I realized I had to focus on this and act.” Those initial conversations became Funeral Women Lead.
Funeral Women Lead will join other organizations in the profession working toward this change, and will be focused solely on women.
Our vision for the future
In addition to its own Leadership Academy and Wellness Summit, Funeral Women Lead gathers resources, opportunities, and support from others in the death care and funeral profession to provide to passionate women leaders looking for growth.
Our board believes
women are the future of this profession and they deserve better.
Our Board believes
women are the future of this profession and they deserve better.
Many women still feel unsupported in their roles and are often in the minority in their firms and associations. Despite their growing numbers, women are underrepresented in leadership positions across the death care profession. They struggle with self-confidence and lack a clear path or strategy for career advancement.
Our Team
Meet the people coming together to unleash the power of women in the death care and funeral profession. Our team is composed of dedicated advocates from inside and out of the death care profession, who bring decades of experience in their fields to ensure our women get the support they need.
Lisa Baue
Founder/CEO
Kristen Ernst, MA, LPC
Dean of the Women’s Leadership Academy
Ruth Bedell
Executive Research & Development Director
Taylor Crabbs
Strategic Content & Operations Manager
Founder, Funeral Women Lead
Lisa A. Baue
The Time Has Come for
Funeral Women
to Lead
Lisa is a visionary leader, trailblazer in funeral service, and fierce advocate for women’s leadership in deathcare. As the former third-generation owner and CEO of one of the Midwest’s leading funeral home, cremation, and cemetery companies, she transformed a single funeral home into a multi-faceted business serving thousands of families annually. Under her leadership, the company expanded to include four funeral homes, a flower and gift shop, an 80-acre memorial gardens and mausoleum cemetery, a centralized care and cremation center, a cremation society, and a pet cremation business.
A licensed funeral director, national speaker, educator, business coach, and industry changemaker, Lisa has dedicated her career to elevating both the profession and the women within it. In 2019, she and her son, John Devaney, transitioned their company to Park Lawn Corporation. She continues to serve in a consulting capacity for Baue’s in St. Charles, MO.
Recognizing the need for more leadership development and business education in funeral service, Lisa founded Your Funeral Coach LLC in 2021, providing coaching, mentorship, and strategic insights to funeral, cremation and cemetery service professionals. In 2024, she launched Funeral Women Lead LLC, an organization committed to unleashing greatness in women across the profession through leadership development, providing wellness programs, coaching, mentoring , and advocacy. She firmly believes investing in women’s education and leadership is critical to the future of the profession.
Lisa is also the host of Your Funeral Coach Talks, a top-ranked podcast in funeral service where she shares best practices in business, leadership, and mentorship, with a special focus on developing the next generation of leaders—especially women.
A dedicated industry leader, Lisa has served as past board chair and current trustee of the Funeral Service Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), where she has worked tirelessly to raise funds to offer scholarships and programs for funeral service professionals. She is a current member of Death Care Collective, an online women’s support program who meets annually around the country at various conventions and gatherings. Lisa is a past board member and past Secretary/Treasurer of Selected Independent Funeral Homes, and a past president of Preferred Funeral Directors International (PFDI). She is also an active member of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), Cremation Association of North America (CANA), International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA), and the Missouri Funeral Directors and Morticians Association (MFDMA). Additionally, she is a Preferred Partner of Selected Independent Funeral Homes and a strong supporter of Selected’s Educational Trust, assisting them with their online learning program and scholarships to students.
Investing in women’s education and leaderships is critical to the future of the profession.
Lisa’s commitment to championing women in funeral service is deeply personal.
Lisa’s commitment to championing women in funeral service is deeply personal. Her father, David C. Baue, pioneered the first women in funeral service program in the history of the profession in the early 1980s, as she was beginning her career as a young funeral director who needed role models, coaching, and mentoring at a time when very few women were active in the profession. It’s a legacy she proudly continues today by sponsoring scholarships for NFDA’s Professional Women’s Conference, the modern continuation of her father’s initiative as well as supporting numerous other programs in the profession. Since 2020, Lisa and her family’s charitable fund have provided over 100 women’s scholarships, ensuring that more women have access to the education, development, and opportunities they need to excel.
Lisa, in founding Funeral Women Lead, envisions it becoming an active 501C3 Foundation. The foundation will continue to support women in the US, as well as collaborate with other organizations and associations both in the US and around the globe, with the mission to ensure continued and ongoing efforts to create programs supporting, recruiting, and retaining women in the funeral service and death care profession.
Lisa and her husband, Monte Crabbs, a retired educator, have four children and six grandchildren. They enjoy travelling to spend time with family and friends, their two Doodle Dogs, three horses, golfing, boating, cheering on the Denver Broncos and the St Louis Cardinals.
Both Lisa and Monte will be published Authors in 2025 , Lisa with a non-fiction book, Wake-Up Calls, a Journey of Learning to Lead and Succeed in the Funeral and Death Care Profession, due out in late August with all the proceeds going to charitable organizations that support women. Monte is writing a fiction book of short stories for adults due to be published in the fall.
“The future of funeral service is being shaped by women. When we invest in their leadership, education, their careers, help them feel supported, find their voice and their long term place in our profession, we don’t just elevate them—we elevate the entire profession.”
– Lisa A. Baue
Dean of Women’s Leadership Academy
Kristen Ernst MA, LPC
The Time Has Come for
Funeral Women
to Lead
Kristen Ernst is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the Owner and Operator of the Center for Hope and Healing, LLC, a mental health facility dedicated to providing support to individuals navigating grief and traumatic loss. With a deep commitment to fostering healing, Kristen has developed specialized programs aimed at assisting those who have experienced profound loss, including grief from suicide, Covid, opioid addiction, child loss, miscarriage, and more.
Throughout her career, Kristen has been a trailblazer in creating aftercare programs for funeral homes across the country. She has facilitated grief support groups for various types of loss, including Survivors of Suicide Loss, Widow and Widower Support, Heroin and Opioid Loss, and Child and Infant Loss. In addition to facilitating virtual and in-person groups, she has presented Memorial Services for the community, including Holiday Remembrance Programs, Veterans Day Programs, and Seeds of Hope Programs.
Kristen has also served as a keynote speaker and presenter at numerous conferences and events within the funeral service and hospice industries, including the Greater St. Louis Hospice Organization Conference and the Women in Funeral Service Program at Selected Independent Funeral Homes. As a contributor to leading funeral industry blogs and podcasts, Kristen has played a pivotal role in educating and raising awareness about grief and loss.
Her dedication extends to community outreach, where she has spoken at national events such as the National Share Organization for Infant and Pregnancy Loss and served as a retreat director for the Angel Moms Organization. Kristen is also a passionate advocate for suicide prevention and mental health awareness, contributing to podcasts and programs focused on these critical issues.
As an expert in bereavement and trauma recovery, Kristen’s unique blend of clinical expertise and community-based support has made her a trusted leader in grief counseling and mental health advocacy.
Executive Research & Development Director
Dr. Ruth Bedell
The Time Has Come for
Funeral Women
to Lead
Dr. Ruth Bedell leads research and program development for the Funeral Women Lead Foundation. She spearheads scientific research on women’s needs in the funeral profession, to provide information for program development, marketing, and fundraising on behalf of the Foundation’s mission. She also focuses on developing and implementing effective programs and growth strategies, securing funding, and building partnerships to support the Foundation’s mission.
Dr. Ruth earned a doctorate in industrial-organizational psychology from Keiser University, focusing on emotional intelligence and workplace bullying. As the founder of Bedell Consulting, LLC, she uses evidence-based strategies to help organizations improve leadership, team dynamics, employee performance and productivity, and address issues like workplace bullying and harassment. She also specializes in succession planning and managing organizational change.
Dr. Ruth is a speaker and trainer who conducts customized workshops for organizations of all sizes, both locally and nationally. Recently, she gave a plenary session on assertiveness training for women funeral service professionals at the 2024 NFDA Professional Women’s Conference in Savannah, Georgia.
Before joining the Foundation, Dr. Ruth spent over five years at the Association of Independent Funeral Directors of Florida, including nearly four years as Associate Director for Outreach. She managed programs in communication, marketing, professional development, membership growth, and disaster response.
Dr. Ruth is an active volunteer in Tallahassee, Florida. She served as corporate secretary on the Bond Community Health Center board and co-founded VOICE, a grassroots group hosting community educational events on civic engagement. She was recently selected for the Knight Creative Communities Institute’s 2025 Community Catalyst Class. The Community Catalysts “are change agents, who make a volunteer commitment to educate, engage, and enable fellow citizens to build a more authentic, sustainable, and prosperous community.”
Executive Administrative Coordinator
Taylor Crabbs
The Time Has Come for
Funeral Women
to Lead
Taylor is an executive administrative coordinator and content creator who thrives on blending organization with creativity. With a background in psychology and years of experience working alongside professionals in deathcare, she understands the power of storytelling, connection, and intentional strategy. At Funeral Women Lead, she brings these skills to life by crafting compelling content, managing communications, and ensuring that every detail behind the scenes runs smoothly to support the organization’s mission to amplify the voices of women in death care.
Our Board
Our board is composed of dedicated advocates from inside and out of the death care profession, who bring decades of experience in their fields to ensure our women get the support they need.
Alicia Carr
Board Member
Melissa Loose
Board Member
Brenda Suit
Treasurer
Board Member
Alicia Carr
The Time Has Come for
Funeral Women
to Lead
Alicia Carr is the owner of Kelco Supply Company, where she has been leading the business since 2004 after working alongside her mother, Nira Mesker, for 12 years before officially taking the helm. With a deep-rooted connection to the deathcare profession, Alicia has hands-on experience in customer service, financial management, and business operations. In addition to her leadership at Kelco, she earned her degree in mortuary science in 2019 and continues to serve as an apprentice funeral director and embalmer at a local funeral home in Minnesota.
Beyond her business and funeral service roles, Alicia has dedicated herself to supporting families and professionals alike. From 2016 to 2023, she served as a board member for Healing Hearts Connection (formerly Children’s Grief Connection), helping families navigate grief through compassionate support programs and family camps. She also served on the Board of the Selected Independent Funeral Homes Educational Trust from 2012 to 2015, working to advance educational initiatives for independent funeral homes and the wider profession.
Alicia’s dedication to funeral service extends far beyond her company. She has spent her career learning from others, mentoring, leading, and working to strengthen the profession. As an advocate for women in the field, she actively supports organizations like Funeral Women Lead, as well as other initiatives that provide resources, foster connections, and create opportunities for women to grow and succeed at every level.
What fuels Alicia’s passion is a deep appreciation for the skill, sacrifice, dedication, and compassion that women bring to their work. Funeral service isn’t just a job—it’s both an art and a calling. Ensuring that women have the tools and opportunities to excel isn’t just good for them; it benefits families, businesses, and the future of the profession.
If she could drive one major change in the funeral profession, it would be ensuring that the vital role of women in funeral service is fully recognized. Whether providing hands-on care or leading businesses, women are shaping the profession in meaningful ways—but too often, their contributions go unnoticed. Elevating their voices in leadership and decision-making roles will not only strengthen individual businesses but also help the profession thrive for generations to come.
Alicia firmly believes that women are key to the future of funeral service. Their ability to balance tradition with innovation, provide meaningful care, and adapt to the evolving needs of families makes them invaluable. Strengthening their presence and leadership ensures that businesses—large and small—can continue to grow while honoring the core values of dignity and service.
Beyond mentorship and advocacy, Alicia is a strong supporter of networking and educational opportunities. She believes that connecting with peers, learning from industry leaders, and sharing experiences are essential to professional growth. Whether through events, programs, or training initiatives, she is committed to making sure women in funeral service have access to the knowledge, skills, and support they need to advance their careers.
Through her work with multiple organizations and initiatives, Alicia is honored to be part of a movement that uplifts, supports, and helps shape the next generation of leaders in funeral service.
Alicia firmly believes that women are key to the future of funeral service.
Board Member
Melissa Posey Loose
The Time Has Come for
Funeral Women
to Lead
A passionate advocate for women in death care, Melissa Posey Loose is dedicated to fostering growth, mentorship, and leadership in a profession that demands both skill and heart. With over 25 years of experience spanning funeral service, training, marketing, and community engagement, she understands the challenges women face—and the power they hold to transform the industry.
As Senior Vice President of Communications for Security National Funeral Homes & Cemeteries, Melissa works to ensure that every touchpoint in the funeral profession reflects clarity, respect, and purpose. Her career has been shaped by a commitment to education and empowerment, from her leadership in funeral home marketing and community partnerships to her tenure with the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), where she developed programming for the Professional Women’s Conference and Arranger Training for domestic and international audiences. She has also served as Assistant Vice President of Marketing for National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL), contributing to the broader conversation on how we care for families and professionals alike.
A published author and thought leader, Melissa’s work includes contributions to When a Child Dies: Creating Acts of Love and Legacy, now used by the National Institutes of Health and over 60 hospital systems. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts from Brigham Young University.
For Melissa, Funeral Women Lead is more than an organization—it’s a movement. She believes that investing in women is essential to the future of funeral service, and she is committed to helping women gain the confidence, skills, and opportunities they need to thrive. Whether by mentoring future leaders, advocating for industry-wide change, or supporting women in business ownership, she walks alongside those who seek to shape the future of this profession.
A native of North Augusta, S.C., Melissa now calls Utah home, where she lives with her husband, Rob.
Treasurer
Brenda Suit
The Time Has Come for
Funeral Women
to Lead
Brenda Suit has been with Baue Funeral Homes since August 2014 as CFO. She learned and developed skills in the death care industry during this time doing everything from Financing, Banking, Trusts, dealing with State auditors, attorneys, CPA’s, selling the company and purchasing new companies (PLC). After the sale of Baue in 2019, Brenda continued to work for PLC as a Regional Controller.
Originally from Montezuma, Iowa, she attended Truman State University for her Associate Degree in Accounting, University of Houston for her BBA in Accounting and received her MBA in Business from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. Brenda has managed personally owned rental properties and been the CFO for a home builder with multiple corporations. She has experience with various banking and financial advisors including obtaining new financing and refinancing.
At Truman University Brenda met her husband Alan. They have two wonderful daughters, Nicole and Angela, who are both married and have 4 granddaughters.
Brenda loves to play tennis, travel, golf, bike and spend time with her family and friends. She has been recognized with the Dove Business award in 2005, Vision St. Charles Leadership award in 2006 and worked on the St. Charles Public Works Board and Advisory Board Assured Title.
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