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.
Make sure to also download the TAPS Events app. Recommended session schedules for different grief programming and speaker information are all built into the easy-to-navigate app.
Jennifer Baldwin, MA, ATR-BC, ATCS, LCPAT
Jennifer, a board-certified art therapist, holds a Master's in Art Therapy from The George Washington University. She has been practicing in the Northern Virginia and D.C. area since 1997, blending art therapy with traditional talk therapy to support grief and trauma recovery. Certified in grief and trauma therapy through the Wendt Center, Jennifer is also adjunct faculty at George Washington University and a certified art therapy supervisor. She has led workshops and clinician training, helping others use creative expression for healing. Jennifer has worked with hospice and is currently part of a private group supporting those grieving the loss of a loved one.
Audri Beugelsdijk
Audri Beugelsdijk is the TAPS Vice President of Development, leading strategic fundraising efforts to secure resources and support for military families of fallen heroes. With her educational background in psychology, specialized training in bereavement, and ten years leading TAPS Survivor Services, Audri brings expertise in addressing the needs of bereaved military survivors. A Navy veteran and widow of CTRSN Jason Springer, USN, Audri’s commitment to TAPS is both personal and professional. She has dedicated her life to advocating for military families, creating networks of care for those navigating grief and loss, and treating others with love and compassionate curiosity.
Bonnie Carroll
Bonnie Carroll is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a retired U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer, the surviving spouse of Brigadier General Tom Carroll, a former staffer in the Reagan and Bush White Houses, and 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 C-12 plane crash November 12, 1992.
Frank Campbell, PhD, LCSW, CT
Dr. Frank Campbell is the Executive Director Emeritus of the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, where he is developing the first National Training Center for Suicidology. He is also Senior Consultant for Campbell and Associates Consulting where he consults with communities on Active Postvention efforts and Forensic Suicidology cases. During his more than thirty years of working with those bereaved by suicide he introduced his Active Postvention Model (APM) in 1997 it is most commonly known as the LOSS Team (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors). His work with survivors and victims of trauma has been featured in three discovery channel documentaries, multiple professional journals, and several book chapters. Frank has been a consultant to TAPS for years, beginning with the very first National Military Suicide Survivor Seminar in 2009.
Nia Graham
Nia is a long time member of the Life Stories Faculty at The Theatre Lab, where she uses her background in theatre to empower her students to tell their unique stories and take charge of their own narrative. Prior to this, Nia served as the Program Manager at Theatre Lab . Nia is also a graduate of the 2009 Honors Acting Conservatory. Her theatre credits include Twelfth Night at Shakespeare Theatre Company (Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Ensemble), Lolita at Arena Stage's Edward Albee Festival, Measure For Measure at Motown Theatre, How Old is a Hero? and African Roots Latino Soul at Discovery Theater.
Ashlynne Haycock-Lohmann
Ashlynne is Director, TAPS Government and Legislative Affairs. Ashlynne is the surviving daughter of SFC Jeffrey J. Haycock, who died in an Army training accident, and Nichole C. Haycock, an Air Force Veteran who died by suicide. Ashlynne holds a bachelor's in political science from American University and has been deeply involved with TAPS, attending and mentoring at the Good Grief Camp. She advocates for surviving families and previously served on the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Education and as a Negotiated Rulemaker for the Department of Education.
Rachel Hunsell
As the TAPS Outdoor Programs Manager, Rachel develops and supports programs in the outdoors across the TAPS network. Rachel connects survivors with the healing power of nature and encourages participants to reconnect with their inner strength by creating emotionally safe and understanding environments. As a survivor honoring the life and death of her brother, Marine Lance Cpl J. Kyle Price, she understands the valleys and mountaintops we experience along the journey after loss. Rachel resides in Southern Illinois, has a background in communication and event management, is Dare to LeadⓇ trained, and is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Education with a degree in Recreation Therapy.
Erin Jacobson
Erin serves as the Director of Adult Programs for TAPS. Within the past decade, Erin has built transformative programming within the retreat and seminar programs with an emphasis in women's empowerment, art, mindfulness and nature based healing. At the heart of her workshops and programs is the desire to create spaces where survivors can feel safe to explore the difficult questions surrounding identity and purpose after loss. Erin resides in the Pacific Northwest and is the surviving partner of Army Ranger Corporal Jason Kessler. Along with a degree in counseling, her educational background includes nonprofit leadership, religious studies and art history.
Andy McNiel, MA
Andy McNiel is the Senior Advisor of Youth Programs for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). He is an author and trainer on topics related to grief, bereavement, and end-of-life. Andy 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 an executive partner of The Satori Group, LLC, a national education, management, and consulting company focused on grief and loss. He is the former CEO of The National Alliance for Grieving Children, Executive Director of The Amelia Center at Children's of Alabama, and Director of Counseling Services for Hospice of Martin and St. Lucie (now Treasure Health) in South Florida. Andy is a trainer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; a co-author of Supporting and Understanding Bereaved Children: A Practical Guide for Professionals; 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.
Emily Muñoz
Emily is the Director of Program Innovation at TAPS. Emily brings fresh concepts to the Survivor Care Team to keep programming and services on the leading edge for the survivor community. Emily works closely with each Survivor Care Team program lead and supports the Programs Committee, facilitating activities that offer a healthy and active healing path for survivors. Emily first came to TAPS in 2005 following the death of her husband, Captain Gilbert Munoz, U.S. Army.
Kaitlin Picard, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP
Kaitlin Picard is a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Home Base. She holds board certifications as a Psychiatric Mental-Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse Advanced Practice (CARN-AP). She completed her undergraduate work at Tufts University, receiving a bachelor's degree in biology. She also attended Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions where she received both her bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing. As a registered nurse, Kaitlin worked in the Boston area at a methadone clinic and crisis stabilization unit, developing a special interest in co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Prior to joining Home Base, Kaitlin worked as a psychiatric nurse practitioner for a dual-diagnosis mental health and substance use partial hospitalization program. Kaitlin is honored to support veterans, service members and their families through her role in the Intensive Clinical Program and TBI program.
Jenna Preston, PsyD, LP ART-BC
Dr. Preston is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Registered, Board Certified Art Therapist. She earned a Master's in Art Therapy from The George Washington University and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the American School of Professional Psychology, Washington, D.C. Dr. Preston is a proud (retired) military spouse. Her husband retired from the Air Force in 2015. Her career includes serving children, adolescents, and adults with multiple treatment settings to include a unique opportunity to work with the Metropolitan Police in Washington, D.C. and opening a private art therapy practice while stationed overseas. Currently, Dr. Preston works as a Clinical Psychologist at Buckley Space Force Base serving all six branches.
Amal Saade
Amal Saade has been teaching on the Theatre Lab faculty since 2007, and the Life Stories faculty since 2010. She is currently on the theater faculty at the Lab School of Washington, and has also taught at ArtStream, Inc., Imagination Stage, and Jamestown Elementary School. She is a graduate of The Theatre Lab’s Honors Acting Conservatory, and has performed at theaters including Theater J, Olney Theatre, 1st Stage, Rorschach Theatre, Taffety Punk, Young Playwright’s Theatre, and The Source Theatre Festival. Amal holds a master's in theatre education from Catholic University.
Terah Herman-Saldaña
Terah has been a teaching artist for over 15 years and is a full-time member of The Theatre Lab staff, serving as the Director of Youth Programs. Terah has been teaching with the partnership program between TAPS and The Theatre Lab since 2019. In addition to her work at The Theatre Lab, she has worked as a teaching artist at Imagination Stage, West Chester Academy, The Center of Science and Industry, Starfire, Kennedy Heights Arts Center, The University of Kentucky, and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. She is an alum of the US Department of State International Exchange program, in which she took The Theatre Lab’s Life Stories program to Malaysia. She holds an M.A. in Theatre from the University of Kentucky and a B.A. in Theatre from Capital University.
Jason Stout
Jason Stout, recipient of the 2024 Richard Louv Prize for Innovation in Nature Connection, has spent over 25 years guiding grieving individuals toward healing through nature-based experiences. As a Youth Programs Advisor for TAPS, he helps develop Good Grief Camps, Family Camps, and Healing in Nature workshops, training volunteers and mentors to support grieving survivors. Having faced profound personal loss, Jason found healing in the outdoors, leading him to create a wilderness program for grieving teens. He has consulted for organizations like Outward Bound and the National Park Foundation and is featured in the documentary In Our Nature.
Clare Stupinski, LICSW
Clare has worked as a clinical social worker at Home Base since 2018, providing mental health services to military service members, veterans, and their loved ones. She primarily works in the trauma-focused 2-week Intensive Clinical Program (ICP) where she does individual therapy, groups, and case management, incorporating cultural humility throughout. Her individual therapy is primarily in trauma and she is trained in Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy, and the Unified Protocol. She feels fortunate to have worked on Home Base's Families of the Fallen ICP in both group and individual capacities since its inception.
Carla Stumpf Patton, EDD, LMHC, NCC, FT, CCTP
Dr. Carla Stumpf Patton, Ed.D., LMHC, NCC, FT, CCTP, an expert in grief, trauma, and suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention, oversees TAPS’ services for suicide-loss survivors. Carla consults with civilian providers and military leaders to provide effective outreach and clinical care to military personnel, veterans, and military families. She is certified as an ASIST trainer in suicide first aid and is qualified to conduct Psychological Autopsy Investigations through the American Association of Suicidology. Carla holds an Ed. D. in counseling psychology, an M.A. in clinical mental health counseling and school guidance counseling, and a B.S. in psychology. Carla is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a Certified Fellow Thanatologist, a National Certified Counselor, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, a Florida Qualified Supervisor, and a counseling educator. She is the surviving spouse of Sergeant Richard Stumpf, U.S. Marine Corps, who died by suicide in 1994. She is now married to a retired U.S. Marine, who was also a suicide-loss survivor, and they share five children.
Jesse Tubb
Jesse Tubb served 28 years in the U.S. Army and is the founder and creator of GRIT Adventures, an experiential learning outdoor program that utilizes adventure racing as a vehicle for teaching valuable life skills. Through this program, teams and organizations gain a greater understanding of their own capabilities, develop resilience, perseverance, conflict resolution skills, mindfulness, self-awareness, and learn to work effectively with others. Jesse is a certified Life and Engagement coach, ACC ICF certified coach, a Mental Fitness coach through the Positive Intelligence program, served as a Master Resiliency Trainer in the Army and is an endorsed mental fitness coach with the U.S. Adventure Racing Association. He holds a Resilient Building Leadership Professional-Trainer (RBLP-T) Certification, trained with the University of Pennsylvania Resilience Program, and completed the Mindfulness Mentor Training program through Cloud Sangha with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. As a member of the advisory board for TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), he provides workshops on developing emotional and mental resilience for the families of fallen service members. A seasoned endurance athlete, Jesse has competed globally, including the 2019 Eco Challenge, winning the 2018 U.S. Adventure Racing Championship and the 2022 24-hour Solo Championship, among other elite race finishes.
Candace Wheeler
Candace Wheeler is Senior Director of TAPS Government and Legislative Affairs. Candace Wheeler first joined TAPS in 2018 as the Senior Advisor for Policy and Legislation. As a staunch military-family advocate with over 30 years of experience, Candace works to protect the rights and earned benefits of surviving families. Her advocacy on behalf of TAPS and military survivors on Capitol Hill has directly impacted legislation and survivor benefits, including the passage of the historic Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022; the elimination of the Survivor Benefit Plan — Dependency and Indemnity offset or “Widow’s Tax.” Prior to joining TAPS, Candace was the Vice President of Strategic Communications and Marketing at the American Logistics Association, and she previously served as the Government Relations Deputy Director for the National Military Family Association. She holds a Master of Political Management from George Washington University, a B.A. in international relations from the University of Southern California, and an executive certificate in nonprofit management from Georgetown University.
Lisa Zucker, MSW, CT
Lisa Zucker is the Director of Strategic Planning and Implementation at TAPS, where she supports the growth and impact of survivor programs through data-driven strategy, cross-team collaboration, and long-term planning. A Certified Thanatologist with a master’s degree in social work, Lisa has over 20 years of experience working in grief, trauma, and crisis response.
Lisa has served on boards focused on aging and bereavement, and was a founding member of Professionals United for Parkland offering trauma support and training following the 2018 school shooting at MSD High School. She has led community debriefings, educational events, and training about grief and trauma nationwide.
On a personal note, Lisa is the wife of a US Army combat veteran and the mother of three wonderful children. She was the primary caregiver for her late mother-in-law and experienced the traumatic and sudden losses of both her father and her brother. These personal experiences deeply inform her commitment to ensuring grieving military families receive comprehensive and compassionate support.