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 graduated with a master’s in art therapy from The George Washington University and has been working as a clinical art therapist in Northern Virginia/D.C. Metro area since 1997. She is board certified in art therapy and a certified grief and trauma therapist through the Wendt Center for Healing in Washington, D.C and a licensed professional clinical art therapist in the state of Maryland. She currently works as part of a private clinician’s group, NoVa Grief Support and Counseling, dedicated to educating and supporting those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. In addition, Jennifer is an adjunct faculty at The George Washington University in the Art Therapy program and a certified art therapy supervisor. She has successfully blended the areas of art therapy and traumatic grief when working with people of all ages by using art therapy techniques and interventions alongside traditional talk therapy to help support the difficult journey of grieving. Jennifer also enjoys presenting and conducting training for clinicians and community members through programs that have included the Goodwin Living Care Community, the Health and Wellness Program through the Falls Church City Public School, and the TAPS Institute for Hope and Healing®. Over the past two years she has been involved in assisting grieving families through TAPS seminars during open studio experiences and workshops. Providing opportunities for the non-artist to experience creative expression as a healing tool is an important mission for Jennifer.
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.
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.
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 Deputy Director, TAPS Policy and Legislation. She is the surviving daughter of SFC Jeffrey J. Haycock, who died in an Army training accident on April 12, 2002, and Nichole C. Haycock, an Air Force Veteran who died by suicide on April 25, 2011. She graduated with a bachelor’s in political science from American University in 2013. Before joining the TAPS staff, Ashlynne attended the Good Grief Camp for seven years and volunteered as a Good Grief Camp mentor for four years. As TAPS Policy and Legislative Deputy Director, she advocates on behalf of surviving families and also serves on the VA’s Advisory Committee on 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 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.
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 in 1996 and was an adjunct professor at George Washington University from 2010 to 2014. She earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) from the American School of Professional Psychology, Washington, D.C. in 2016 using her spouse's Post 911 GI Bill. Her career and training includes serving children, adolescents, and adults within community mental health, inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, correctional, residential substance abuse settings, and a unique opportunity to work with the Metropolitan Police in Washington, D.C. Dr. Preston is a proud (retired) military spouse. Her husband retired from the Air Force in 2015. While stationed overseas in England from 2003 to 2006, she opened a private art therapy practice serving military children and spouses. Currently, Dr. Preston works as a Clinical Psychologist at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado serving active duty military from all six branches, their spouses, and military children.
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 serves as a TAPS Youth Programs Advisor. Jason is passionate about helping youth and adults find their inner strength, form meaningful connections, and experience personal transformation through challenges. This is rooted in the losses of his sister, grandmother, and father — all before Jason was 15 years old. He struggled to deal with these losses as a teen and adult, but he found purpose and healing after completing a 78-day Winter Wilderness Leadership Expedition. In honor of his dad and sister, Jason created a national wilderness program for at-risk and grieving teens, which was featured in Backpacker Magazine, The Denver Post, and the Associated Press. He provides presentations to high schools, universities, and conferences on grief and finding resilience. He previously served Judi's House as Outreach and Education Manager and Outward Bound as the National Outreach Director. Through his work at TAPS, Jason helps grieving children and teens heal through connection and 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. Stumpf Patton serves as the Senior Director of Suicide Prevention & Postvention Programs at the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), where she oversees programs and services provided to military community members and families after a suicide loss. She is a suicidologist and subject matter expert in the areas of grief, trauma, and suicide prevention, intervention, and Postvention, is a registered ASIST trainer in suicide first aid, and is trained in Psychological Autopsy Investigations and Crisis Response Planning. Dr. Stumpf Patton holds a B.S. in Psychology, an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Guidance Counseling, and a Doctorate of Education in Counseling Psychology. Her dissertation research focused on military families bereaved by suicide, and was a key contributor in the development of the TAPS Suicide Prevention Model™. Dr. Stumpf Patton 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 in higher academia. She is the surviving spouse of Sergeant Richard Stumpf, an Active Duty U.S. Marine Corps Drill Instructor and Gulf War Era Combat Veteran who died by suicide in 1994, several days before their only child was born. She is remarried to a retired U.S. Marine, who was also a suicide survivor widower, with whom she shares five children.
Jesse Tubb
MSG Jesse Tubb is currently serving his 27th year in the Army as a trumpet player in the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own”. He spent the last 16 years competing in various endurance sports around the world. His accomplishments include competing in the 2019 Eco Challenge, an 11 day race in Fiji filmed on Amazon Prime, winning both the 2018 U.S. Adventure Racing Association National Championship and the 2022 24-hour Adventure Racing National Solo Championship, as well as numerous top 10 finishes in ultra marathons and triathlons. He's the Founder and Creator of GRIT Adventures, a youth program that uses adventure racing as a vehicle for teaching kids valuable life skills. Through this program, kids gain a greater understanding of their own capabilities, develop resilience, perseverance, conflict resolution skills, mindfulness, self awareness, and learn to work effectively with others. His mission is to help all his clients find ways to become more mindful, take ownership of how they react to life's challenges, and learn to find more peace and joy in their life.
Candace Wheeler
Candace Wheeler is Director of TAPS Government & Legislative Affairs. As a staunch military family advocate with over 30 years' experience, Candace works to protect the rights and earned benefits of surviving families. TAPS is committed to improving support provided by both federal and state governments, and advancing policy and legislation to strengthen the families of the fallen. During the 116th Congress, Candace led efforts to finally eliminate the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) – Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset, commonly referred to as the "Widow's Tax". The TAPS policy team was instrumental in creating a new strategy, educating Congress, garnering support from veterans and military service organizations, and empowering surviving spouses to advocate on their own behalf. Candace is also a leading advocate for the families of those who died as a result of illnesses connected to toxic exposure while serving in the military, and represents TAPS on the Toxic Exposure in the American Military (TEAM) Coalition. As the former President of The Military Coalition (TMC) and Chairman of the Board for the National Military Family Association (NMFA), and Spokesperson for the Save Our Benefit Coalition, Candace has championed military families before Congress, State Legislatures, Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA). As a military spouse, Candace is committed to strengthening the military and veteran community, their families, caregivers and survivors.
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.