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.
Jon Ganues
Jon is Manager of TAPS Men's Program, managing all aspects of event planning and coordination. Jon provides a safe space for grieving men to share their stories, connect and support each other, and find ways forward in their unique journeys, building relationships among the surviving community to deepen the foundation of support for male military survivors. Jon serves on the Virginia Military Advisory Council, exploring issues impacting quality of life for service members and their families, relations between the installations and surrounding civilian communities, as well as effects of encroachment. Jon served on the Department of the Air Force 2022 to 2024 Survivor Advocacy Council, which served as a forum for the Air Force and Space Force to champion survivor programs. He is a former TAPS Peer Mentor and was the 2019 Peer Mentor of the Year. Jon is a retired U.S. Army Warrant Officer with 21 years of active-duty service, with experience in logistics and information technology. He is a lifetime member of the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association, and he is a lifetime honorary member of the Board of Directors for Henrico County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Jon holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with information and technology from Colorado Technical University. Through his work at TAPS, Jon honors the memory of his son, Airman First Class Jon Wesley Ganues, Jr., U.S. Air Force, who died by suicide on June 2, 2009.
Session: Grieving Like a Man
Becky Lomaka, MA, CT
Becky Lomaka is the Director of Grief Support and Education at O’Connor Mortuary in Laguna Hills, California. In her role at O’Connor, Becky provides education and resources on death, dying and bereavement to healthcare and hospice partners, faith communities, as well as the community at large. She is an instructor for the Institute for Exceptional Funeral Service, whose focus is to bridge the educational gap between Mortuary Science School and on-the-job Training. Becky served on the Board of Directors for The Association for Death Education and Counseling. Locally she serves on the Board of Directors for Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council, the Advisory Council for the Trauma Intervention Program, the Board of Directors of Orange County Tremble Clefs and is a community educator for the Orange County Advance Care Planning Partners. Becky holds a deep belief that “Education is our most powerful tool in our efforts to help the community learn more about how to cope with death and the journey of grief after loss.” Through workshops, seminars and in-service programs, Becky is spreading awareness and changing grief-care for the better. Her true passion lies in normalizing the grief experience and helping to create a world in which grief is embraced, understood and respected.
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
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.