Speaker Topic: Cemetery Planning

Jonquil Shipman has over 20 years of diverse experience in operations, logistics, and team leadership across both the public and private sectors. She currently works as the Executive Director at The Catholic Cemeteries for the Archdiocese of St. Paul, where she helps manage daily operations, staff coordination, and infrastructure planning. Her career includes roles at Boston Scientific, Caterpillar Inc., and Target Corporation, where she supported manufacturing and supply chain initiatives. A veteran of the U.S. Army, Jonquil served in engineering and logistics roles, including a deployment to Iraq. She holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and completed a Certificate in Investigative Genetic Genealogy.

Speaker Topic: Cemetery: Green Burial

Taelor Johnson is an advocate for more sustainable end-of-life options in Minnesota, and is the Director of Communications for Mueller Memorial funeral home and their signature service, Interra Green Burial. She helped Interra become one of only two funeral providers in Minnesota certified by the national Green Burial Council, and a recipient of the National Funeral Director’s Association’s Green Funeral Practices Award. She has presented at national conventions for ICCFA, CANA, and TerraCon, and has contributed to the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Memento Mori, American Funeral Director, Civics 101 Podcast, Funeral Service Insider Podcast, and MPR News.

Speaker Topic: Funeral Planning

Andrea Karels is the Pre-Arrangement Specialist at Gill Brothers Funeral and Cremation Service. A licensed funeral director since 1996, she has dedicated her career to helping families with compassion and professionalism during times of loss. Today, she specializes in advance funeral planning, working with individuals and families to create personalized plans that provide clarity, confidence, and peace of mind while easing the burden on loved ones.

Speaker Topic: Funeral Planning

Jessi Rinne, a 1998 graduate of Delano High School and 2003 graduate of the University of Minnesota, is a licensed funeral director, a certified preplanning consultant, and licensed in insurance. She worked as a student at Gearty-Delmore prior to becoming licensed and has been a director since 2003. Jessi transitioned into the role of Preplanning Specialist and focuses on simplifying the last goodbye through her passionate work of helping families plan ahead for one of life’s most difficult experiences. Jessi enjoys working with families as they invite her into their lives by sharing stories to aid in creating a meaningful tribute to a life well lived. Outside of the funeral home, Jessi enjoys gardening, hiking, and plenty of travel. She is diligently working toward visiting all the national parks in the United States. Jessi lives in Buffalo with her husband, Scott.

Speaker Topic: Financial & Estate Planning

Sarah Johnson, CFP®, is a Financial Advisor with North Point Advisor Group, where she helps individuals and families navigate retirement, estate, and legacy planning with confidence. As a CFP® professional and Series 65 holder, Sarah believes thoughtful financial planning provides more than financial security. It brings peace of mind and allows clients to focus on what matters most.

Sarah is passionate about helping clients create comprehensive plans that align with their goals and values, particularly when it comes to preserving wealth, caring for loved ones, and preparing for life’s transitions. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of Saint Benedict and a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin Stout.

Sarah lives in Mahtomedi with her husband and three children and enjoys spending time outdoors with her family throughout the year.

Speaker Topic: Assisted Living

As the owner of Assisted Living Locators in St. Paul, Sarah Hallmark Brower is dedicated to providing a no-cost, personalized senior placement and referral service to her community. Leveraging her extensive past experience as a Hospital Hospice Liaison, she offers her support as a free service for seniors and their families. For the last 3 years, she has proudly been consulting on comprehensive, budget-friendly care options, resources, information, and placement into safe communities. Her passion for serving seniors and their families stems from rewarding experiences and a firm belief in their right to a secure, comfortable life. As a part of the Assisted Living Locators team, she is eager to extend her unique expertise and commitment to seniors and their families in St. Paul and the surrounding areas.

Ann Hartlaub is the owner of Senior Care Authority Minneapolis-Metro and has over 30 years of experience working with seniors, advocating for their needs, and assisting families in navigating complex systems and services. Her background spans senior care and advocacy, networking, sales, management, and finance. Ann is also a Certified Senior Advisor and a Certified Dementia Practitioner.

At Senior Care Authority, the goal is to collaborate with seniors and their families to develop comprehensive plans that address individual care needs. This includes services that allow individuals to remain at home safely until end of life, or identifying suitable community living options when staying at home is no longer a safe alternative.

Speaker Topic: Spiritual Care at the End of Life: Sacraments, Rituals, and Accompaniment

Fr. James Buryska is a retired priest of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.  He received his theology degree (STL) from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained in 1965. His first pastoral assignment was high school teaching and parish ministry in Austin, MN. Six years later, he was assigned to the Diocesan Pastoral Council as Executive Secretary and served in that capacity for nearly four years. His next assignment was to the Chaplaincy Department of St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, MN, in 1976. He anticipated that assignment would extend to a couple of years; he retired from it 47 years later, in 2023, after having served in a number of related capacities within Mayo Clinic and its associated hospitals: direct patient care, departmental administration, clinical-pastoral education (formation of future health care chaplains), institutional ethics, and Mayo’s Institutional Review Board (a federally mandated body that reviews the ethical aspects of medical research). During that tenure, he maintained membership in the National Association of Catholic Chaplains and served for five years as chair of its Certification Commission. Currently, he assists at parishes within the archdiocese as requested and continues a bi-weekly Sunday commitment to celebrate with the Franciscan Sisters of Rochester.