ADVISORY COMMISSION

 Founder, Committee Member, Cemeterian, Eco-Friendly Funeral Expert, and Media Relations Expert

Ed Bixby joined the green burial movement back in 2007 when he developed his first green burial preserve, Steelmantown Cemetery, in Woodbine, New Jersey. In the time since, he has created multiple natural burial preserves across the United States, serving the nation premier eco-friendly funeral services. In addition to this, Ed is the co-owner of Eco Warriors Funeral Supplies, offering unique funeral products that are not only green, but economical. Ed also served on the Green Burial Council for fifteen years, ten of which as president. Recently, Ed Bixby founded the Better Death Collective, an online platform that uses social media to educate people on all things deathcare related. With his experience in and knowledge of the eco-friendly funeral industry, he was inspired to create the Global Green Burial Alliance, an international community of eco-friendly funeral professionals. Ed's intention with the GGBA is to bridge gaps between all eco-friendly funeral professionals, processes, and products. In doing so, he hopes to provide a space for open communication, promoting understanding and global changes.

Committee Member, Eco-Friendly Mortician, Eco-Friendly Funeral Expert, and Media Relations Expert

Elizabeth Fournier has dedicated her career to helping individuals access sustainable, meaningful and affordable burials and funerals. She was called to this work at the tender age of 13 after many family deaths. Elizabeth owns and operates Cornerstone Funeral Service out of a repurposed goat barn in Boring, Oregon, where she uses traditional burial practices that are kinder to humans and the Earth. In addition to her steadfast work as a funeral director, Elizabeth wrote The Green Burial Guidebook, gave a TEDx talk called, "Going Green: The Last Act of Environmental Volunteerism,” and is the voice of the autopsy exhibit in the forensic wing at the United States National Museum of Medicine. She worked with Herland Forest in Washington to steward the first natural organic reduction human composting. Elizabeth lives on a farm with her husband, daughter and several rescue goats and sheep.

Committee Member, Pledge Coordinator, and Community and Funeral Industry Relations Expert

Gretchen is a business owner, home funeral guide, green burial consultant and presenter. She has experience working with the funeral industry assisting and supporting those who want to incorporate green burial services into their business. She is available for green burial presentations to local community groups and always available to support and answer questions from the funeral industry or those seeking to learn more about green burial options. Currently she is pursuing her California funeral director’s license. 

Committee Member and Eco-Friendly Cremation Expert

Laura Boehm is the co-founder and general manager at Memorial Reefs International and Pet Reefs. She is the former professor of nursing at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, as well as the former chief nursing executive at North Hawaii Community Hospital. She has a Masters degree in Nursing Leadership and Management and a PhD in Nursing from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Currently, she directs Memorial Reefs’ worldwide operations and was instrumental in creating Pet Reefs—MRI’s newest reef site developed exclusively to memorialize beloved pets. As an avid surfer, Laura is committed to help restore coral reef habitat damaged by global climate change.

Committee Member, All Faith Funeral Consultant, and Eco-Friendly Funeral Director

Reuben Houston is a licensed funeral director, a cremation specialist, and managing partner for Colma Cremation and Funeral Services in Colma, California. Reuben has years of experience in all kinds of mortuary services, including green end-of-life-care. In the last five years, Reuben has assisted hundreds of families in having natural burials at Purissima Natural Burial Preserve in Half Moon Bay, California, alone. He is an expert in the natural burial process and experience, from preparing for such funerals to conducting the services themselves.

Committee Member, Eco-Friendly Mortician, Eco-Friendly Funeral Expert, and Media Relations Expert

Melissa is a dual licensed funeral professional, carrying active licenses in Washington, Oregon, and Texas. Online, as the Modern Mortician, her goal is education on all options at end of life, providing a unique insight into the funeral service industry with over 20 years observation and participation. After years of working for others, seeing corners cut at the detriment of the families in her care and her own well being, she decided now, Fall of 2022, was the time to create change in the death care industry beyond educating and working under the thumb of others...it was time for action; thus The End Green Funeral Care for People and Pets, along with The End Foundation, was stirred to life. Melissa is almost always shadowed by her sidekick, Kermit the Dog. Melissa and Kermit have served their communities together for 6+ years, and present often to non-profit organizations & educators across the world both in person and via online. Melissa is the visionary behind The End Green Funeral Care for People and Pets as the founder/owner, and shares it with the community it is seated in.

Committee Member and Consumer Advocate

Helena is an administrative assistant for Destination Destiny Memorials, an eco-friendly cemetery company. She travels across the country restoring historic burial grounds, transforming them into green burial preserves. She has years of experience in sustainable landscape design and land restoration. Helena also has a long history in customer service, helping families navigate end-of-life processes in a friendly and comfortable fashion. Additionally, Helena is the media manager for the Better Death Collective, overseeing content creation. Helena resides in southern New Jersey with her husband and four children. 

Committee Member, Nature Photographer, and Film Maker 

Mina Bixby is the founder of Bixby Films and director of Imagination Theater. As a film student at an arts high school, she has extensive knowledge in production equipment, editing, and of course, acting. In 2020, Mina created Bixby Films, her own filmmaking company that has since created twenty-five feature films. As a member of the Better Death Collective, she creates short social media videos about an array of deathcare-related topics. Mina also enjoys creating documentaries, currently working on a piece about the natural burial experience. In addition to her love for filmmaking, Mina also enjoys nature photography, providing social media content for Destination Destiny Memorials. Outside of her love for the arts, Mina is the owner of Bixby Lawn Care, a property maintenance business in southern New Jersey. 

Committee Member and Media Manager

Ava Bixby is the head content creator for the Better Death Collective and the social media manager for Destination Destiny Memorials. Since the Better Death Collective’s start, Ava has created over two hundred educational videos, two of which receiving over three million views on Tik Tok. The platform now has over 34,000 followers across all social media platforms, a diverse group of followers brought together by interesting and informative deathcare-related videos. In her time working for the Better Death Collective, Ava has navigated the social media world from the ground up, learning everything from trends to ideal posting times. On top of managing social media pages, Ava also works as a groundskeeper for Destination Destiny Memorials. She is responsible for the property maintenance of Steelmantown Cemetery, Historic Goshen Cemetery, and Moravian High Acres Cemetery. Ava is currently restoring Historic Goshen Church, located in Historic Goshen Cemetery, turning it into a community theater.