The National Funeral Directors Association has awarded the nationally recognized certified preplanning consultant designation to Dawn Kaasa of Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home, Albert Lea.

The certification program is considered the standard of excellence in funeral service for individuals who help families plan funerals in advance. In order to become a certified preplanning consultant, candidates must meet specific program requirements and pass an examination based on a standards manual. CPCs must demonstrate their ongoing professional commitment by fulfilling learning requirements as they renew their certification every four years.

Dawn and her husband Tim live in rural Glenville. They have three children, Kellen, Taryn and Devin.

For seven years, Kaasa worked in the office at United Preschool.

In August of 2007, she was hired as the full-time secretary at Bayview/ Freeborn Funeral Home. Since that time she has earned her Minnesota life and health insurance licensure and is the Purple Cross Plan representative at Bayview. She said has found the work at Bayview interesting and rewarding and that has motivated her to pursue her credentials.

NFDA’s certified preplanning consultant program, established in 1997, recognizes qualified, knowledgeable individuals who are committed to provide ethical and caring advance planning services for all families. “Those who have earned the CPC designation have achieved a unique career distinction that is highly valued by families that want to plan meaningful funerals in advance,” said Colleen Murphy Klein, who manages the program.

The National Funeral Directors Association is the leading funeral service association, serving more than 19,500 members representing approximately 10,000 funeral homes in the United States and internationally.