Former Lampasas resident Zach Carnley participated in the National Funeral Directors Association's Meet the Mentors Program recently in Atlanta, Ga. Pictured are, from left, mentor Mark Musgrove of Oregon; program participant Jacob DeLeon of San Juan, Texas; Carnley; Valerie Wages, a mentor from Georgia; mentor Glen Taylor of Kentucky; and Robb Bates of De Kalb, a program participant. Zach Carnley of Arlington Funeral Home in Arlington was one of 50 funeral directors nationwide selected to participate in the National Funeral Directors Association's Meet the Mentors program, supported by the Funeral Service Foundation.

Meet the Mentors, March 26-27 at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., brought young funeral professionals together to learn from three of the country's leading funeral directors for a time of networking with like-minded peers.

During the program, each mentor gave a presentation where they shared lessons they learned about how to build a succesful and fulfilling career in the funeral service industry.

After the presentations, a panel discussion was held, and participants broke into groups to personally interact with each mentor.

Carnley graduated from Lampasas High School in 2002, and from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2006 with a bachelor of arts in criminal justice.

After graduation, he decided to pursue a career in the funeral industry.

Carnley graduated as valedictorian of his class in 2008 at the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. He also served as president of Pi Eta Sigma Mortuary fraternity.

A funeral director and embalmer, he resides in Carrollton with his wife, Courtney, a fourth-grade teacher in the Irving ISD, and their son, Myles.

Carnley is the son of Lisa Carnley, and Tom Carnley of Lampasas, and the grandson of Frank and Renee' Laifer of Syracuse, N.Y., and Marcia Carnley and the late Thomas C. Carnley of Lampasas.