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Funeral Women Lead successfully hosted its first-ever National Wellness Summit November 17–19, 2025, at The Scottsdale Resort & Spa, welcoming women from across the funeral service and deathcare profession for three days of restoration, leadership development, and meaningful connection.
The sold-out Summit marked a significant milestone for Funeral Women Lead, an organization launched earlier this year with a mission to unleash greatness in the women of the profession. Designed specifically for women working in a high-demand, high-empathy field, the Wellness Summit addressed the mental, physical, and emotional toll of funeral service while offering practical tools for sustainable leadership and personal wellbeing.
The Summit featured nationally respected speakers Cate Collins, Dr. Susan Wilder, and Marguerite Ham, who led participants through interactive sessions focused on resilience, burnout prevention, emotional health, and sustainable high performance. Programming also included small-group discussions, social gatherings, and intentional time for reflection and renewal.
“Our first Wellness Summit in Scottsdale was nothing short of extraordinary,” said Patty Neuswanger, Senior Director of Operations at Funeral Women Lead. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and the energy in the room was undeniable. Reaching our participation goals in our very first year shows just how deeply needed this kind of support is for women in funeral service.”
Post-event participant evaluations provided very personal reflections on individual experiences. One Summit attendee shared, “I felt like I finally found a home within the industry.” Others used words such as “supported, energized, and refreshed” to describe their takeaways.
The Wellness Summit represents a first-of-its-kind event for the funeral and deathcare profession, one that intentionally invites women to pause, reflect, and invest in themselves in a field where the needs of others often come first.
“We created Funeral Women Lead because women told us they needed real support from people who truly understand this work,” said Lisa Baue, Founder and CEO of Funeral Women Lead. “This Summit confirmed that women are ready for spaces that honor both their leadership and their humanity.”
Planning is already underway for the 2026 Wellness Summit. Those interested in future events or partnership opportunities can learn more and sign up for updates at funeralwomenlead.org.
About Funeral Women Lead
Funeral Women Lead is an organization that believes women are the key to the survival of this profession. It pursues its mission to unleash greatness in the women of this profession through outreach, coaching and mentoring, a one-year leadership academy, annual wellness summit, monthly podcasts, and scholarships for professional development. Bringing together leaders, sponsors, researchers and supporters, Funeral Women Lead champions women of the funeral profession as much-needed next-era women’s leadership.
To learn more about the organization visit www.funeralwomenlead.org.