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 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.
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.
Michelle Knuppe
Michelle is the Peer Support Network Director and oversees three critical peer-support components of TAPS: Peer Mentors, Care Groups, and TAPS Togethers. Prior to joining the TAPS team, Michelle was a nurse educator for a large rural health system. She started her nursing career in the Army Nurse Corps. She holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from South Dakota State University and a masters degree in nursing education from the University of Southern Indiana. Through her service at TAPS, Michelle honors the life of her husband, CW3 Michael Allen Mason, U.S. Army.
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.
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.
Sessions: Healing in Nature | Power of Connection