Pursuit of Excellence Award recipients raise the bar on funeral service excellence by adhering to the highest ethical and professional standards and providing unsurpassed service to families and communities.

To earn an NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award, a participating funeral home must meet or exceed business standards set forth by the program and demonstrate proficiency in key areas of funeral service, such as compliance with state and federal regulations; providing ongoing education and professional development opportunities for staff; offering outstanding programs and resources to bereaved families; maintaining an active level of involvement within the community; participating and actively serving in the funeral service profession; and promoting funeral home services through a variety of marketing, advertising and public relations programs. Participants are also required to adhere to a Pledge of Ethical Practices.

“This year’s Pursuit of Excellence honorees are a truly exceptional group. Not only are they serving grieving families with dignity and compassion, but they are finding meaningful ways to support and give back to the community,” said NFDA Director of Public Relations Jessica Koth, who manages the Pursuit of Excellence Award program. “The Pursuit of Excellence Work Group was very impressed by this year’s entries and enjoyed reviewing each and every one. The Work Group applauds Jefferson Memorial for their hard work and dedication to providing a superior level of service to families and communities. We are proud to have them as part of our NFDA family.”

Harry C. Neel, President & CEO, believes that the funeral home’s commitment to customer service and unwavering dedication to serving families during their most challenging times set Jefferson Memorial apart. "We believe that every life deserves to be honored with the utmost care and respect. Receiving the 2023 NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award and a second Honorable Mention is a testament to our values and commitment to upholding the highest standards in funeral service. These accolades recognize our dedication to ethical and professional excellence and reaffirm our mission to provide unparalleled support to families and our community. We are humbled to stand among a select group of funeral service professionals who share our passion for serving with compassion and integrity."

More information about the NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award program can be found on the association’s website, www.nfda.org/pursuitofexcellence.

NFDA is the world's leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.nfda.org.