Featured Speakers
Featured Speakers
During the seminar, you will have the opportunity to hear from national experts in grief, trauma, health and wellness and more. Below is a list of the speakers and presenters who will be in attendance.
Bonnie Carroll
Bonnie Carroll is the President and Founder of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, the leading national Military Service Organization providing comfort, care, and resources to all those grieving the death of a military loved one. Ms. Carroll founded TAPS following the death of her husband in an Army plane crash. She is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a retired U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer, and she has served in the White House under three Presidents.
Audri Beugelsdijk
Audri Beugelsdijk serves as the Vice President of Survivor Services for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), overseeing immediate and long-term survivor support and outreach, and survivor programming. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology. She came to TAPS as a survivor in March 1997 after her husband CTRSN Jason Springer, USN, was lost at sea in the Pacific from the USS Kinkaid. As a Navy veteran as well, Audri is passionate about supporting our military families. Her work in honor of her late husband is a testament to her passion for the TAPS mission and her desire to offer safe places of hope and healing for all those grieving a military loss.
Pamela Gabbay, EdD, FT
Dr. Pamela Gabbay is a nationally recognized trainer and consultant who has served the bereavement field in many capacities during her 25 year career. She is a co-founder of The Satori Group, a national organization providing education and consultation to the end-of-life, death, and bereavement fields. Pamela is a national trainer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and is the co-author, along with Andy McNiel, of Understanding and Supporting Bereaved Children: A Practical Guide for Professionals. She is part of the training corps of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and travels throughout the country conducting trainings on their behalf. Dr. Gabbay has served in a variety of roles in her career, including being the Director of Operations and Training for The Compassionate Friends, the Director of The Mourning Star Center for Grieving Children, and Camp Erin-Palm Springs. Dr. Gabbay holds a Fellow in Thanatology (FT) from the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and earned a Master of Arts degree in Cognitive Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. She earned her Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership from Brandman University. Dr. Gabbay is a member of the TAPS Advisory Board.
Jon Ganues
Jon is Manager of TAPS Men's Program, managing all aspects of event planning and coordination. Jon provides a safe space for grieving men to share their stories, connect and support each other, and find ways forward in their unique journeys, building relationships among the surviving community to deepen the foundation of support for male military survivors. Jon serves on the Virginia Military Advisory Council, exploring issues impacting quality of life for service members and their families, relations between the installations and surrounding civilian communities, as well as effects of encroachment. Jon served on the Department of the Air Force 2022 to 2024 Survivor Advocacy Council, which served as a forum for the Air Force and Space Force to champion survivor programs. He is a former TAPS Peer Mentor and was the 2019 Peer Mentor of the Year. Jon is a retired U.S. Army Warrant Officer with 21 years of active-duty service, with experience in logistics and information technology. He is a lifetime member of the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association, and he is a lifetime honorary member of the Board of Directors for Henrico County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Jon holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with information and technology from Colorado Technical University. Through his work at TAPS, Jon honors the memory of his son, Airman First Class Jon Wesley Ganues, Jr., U.S. Air Force, who died by suicide on June 2, 2009.
Session: Grieving Like a Man
Heidi Horsley, PsyD, LMSW, MS
Dr. Heidi Horsley is a licensed psychologist, social worker, and bereaved sibling. She is the Executive Director of the Open to Hope Foundation, and co-hosts the award-winning weekly cable television show and podcast, Open to Hope. Dr. Heidi is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, and has a private practice in New York City. She has co-authored eight books, and has been interviewed on numerous podcasts and television shows, including 20/20. She serves on the advisory boards for TAPS and the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation. For 10 years she worked for the FDNY-Columbia University Family Guidance Program, helping families of firefighters killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Her psychology doctoral dissertation was on the sudden death of a sibling. Heidi’s son served 6 years in the military and is an army veteran.
Andy McNiel, MA
Andy is the Senior Advisor of Youth Programs for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). Andy is an author and trainer on topics related to grief, bereavement, and end-of-life. He has been an advocate for healthy children, teenagers, and families throughout his career. He brings his dedication and expertise to TAPS, where he oversees, develops, and facilitates programming for young military survivors. He is co-founder and executive partner of The Satori Group, LLC, a national education, management, and consulting company that provides education, content development, training, and consultation in grief and loss. His leadership has guided the National Alliance for Grieving Children, the Amelia Center at Children's of Alabama, and Hospice of Martin and St. Lucie in South Florida. Andy is a trainer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; a member of the International Workgroup on Death, Dying, and Bereavement; and he previously served on the Board of Directors for the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC). Andy holds an M.A. in counseling and a B.A. in religion.
Lisa Zucker, MSW, LCSW, CT
Lisa is the owner of GriefTREE, a grief and trauma therapy practice offering Therapy, Resources, Education, and Events in South Florida. Lisa and her team of clinicians offer therapeutic services to people who have experienced losses of all kinds. She has served on boards including the TAPS Advisory Board, the Area Agency on Aging and Aging & Disability Resource Center for Broward County, and Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies infant mortality review board. Following the tragic events in 2019 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Lisa was a founding member of Professionals United for Parkland where she served on the board, assisted with trainings, and provides pro-bono services to families impacted by the shooting. During this time, Lisa also became trained in additional trauma interventions including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). After unexpectedly losing her father in 2019 and her brother in 2021, Lisa expanded her therapy practice to a group practice in order to reach more people who are grieving or had experienced trauma, knowing that this helped continue her family legacy of serving the community and caring for others. As a Qualified Supervisor and Certified Thanatologist, Lisa guides her team of clinicians in grief and trauma therapy as well as providing the community with debriefings following tragedies, educational opportunities, and events for grievers, caregivers, and professionals wanting to learn more about grief and trauma.