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.
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 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 on November 12, 1992.
Pamela Gabbay, EdD, FT
Dr. Pamela Gabbay 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 of Understanding and Supporting Bereaved Children: A Practical Guide for Professionals. Previously, Dr. Gabbay was the Director of the Mourning Star Center and Camp Erin-Palm Springs, where she worked extensively with bereaved children, teens, and their families. Pamela was also an adjunct faculty member in the psychology department at Brandman University. Additionally, she served as the President of the Southern California Chapter of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, as well as the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC). Dr. Gabbay is a member of the TAPS Advisory Board.
L. Mark Hensley, MTS, DMin, PT-Csp
Dr. Hensley is Bereavement Services Manager at VITAS Healthcare. He received a Master of Theological Studies with a focus on ethics from Methodist Theological School in 1990 and a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary. Hensley has worked as a chaplain for over 30 years, beginning his career as a Chaplain Assistant then Chaplain for the 11147th Armor Battalion in the Ohio Army National Guard. His military assignments provided vital field experiences. Dr. Hensley has worked directly with families in hospice for nearly a decade. In his current role as Bereavement Service Manager, Hensley coordinates with Chaplains, Music Therapists, and Social Workers developing different types of interventions and plans of care for at-risk factors to encourage successful bereavement of loved ones. Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, Dr. Hensley has hosted a virtual Parental Loss Support Group for Adults that is available nationwide. He is certified as a specialist in Pastoral Thanatology through the American Academy of Grief Counseling.
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.
Renee Monczynski, MAOL
Renee is the creative director of the TAPS Young Adult Program that was established in 2016, specifically for surviving children and siblings. Since the sudden death of her husband when they were both active duty, she found healing and new purpose among her military family and peers at TAPS. Renee has a passion for education and volunteerism, earning multiple undergraduate degrees in education and psychology with a concentration in child development, culminating in a MA in Psychology - Organizational Leadership, from Southern New Hampshire University. She has spent her life in service to others through volunteering in several organizations including Young Marines as a training officer, Gold Star Wives Inc. as the Education Chair, National Board, Marine Corps League and TAPS as a military mentor and group leader. Renee has presented the TAPS Young Adults Program to the professional communities of Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and the National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG).