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 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.
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.
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.
Rev. Carla Cheatham, MA, MDiv, PhD, TRT
Rev. Dr. Cheatham began her career in psychosocial services with an MA in Psychology, certification in trauma therapy, PhD in Health & Kinesiology, and MDiv before working 10 years as an interfaith healthcare chaplain and bereavement coordinator. Carla is a national keynote speaker and consultant focusing on emotionally intelligent and resilient professionals and organizations, member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) Trauma-Informed End-of-Life Care Work Group, former Chair of NHPCO’s Ethics Advisory Council, and Assistant Professor for University of Maryland’s MS in Palliative Care. She publishes books and videos about healthy leadership and organizations, resilience, communication, boundaries, trauma-informed care, posttraumatic growth, grief, service recovery, emotionally competent professionals and teams, and more.
Blake Holbrook
Blake served in the United States Army Infantry from 2002 to 2005. With the 2nd Infantry Division, Blake was stationed on the DMZ between North and South Korea from 2003 to 2004. With the 1st Cavalry Division, he was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom and was stationed in Baghdad from 2004 to 2005. In his service, Blake was the recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, the Purple Heart, Paratrooper Wings, National Defense Ribbon, and the Iraq Campaign Medal. Coming home from war, Blake was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury and had many challenges transitioning to civilian life. After stints in three VA Psychiatric Wards and substance abuse rehabilitation, he found purpose in helping other veterans. He graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelors in English and Social Work. While in school, Blake worked for the university developing programs for veterans across the seven Texas State campuses. He moved on to supervise the Travis State Jail Veterans Dorm, a 13-week program for incarcerated veterans from across the state of Texas that educates participants about PTSD, substance abuse, and life skills. As the founder of VetRecOutdoors, Blake combines his previous work with his passion for the outdoors.
Session: Navigating Grief with Nature's Help
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.