Karen Anderson-Fignon, MA, ATR-BC, GC-C
Art Therapist and Grief Counselor
Karen Anderson, MA, ATR-BC, GC-C is a board certified art therapist and grief counselor. Since 2010, she has co-facilitated the Artful Grief: Open Art Studio at the TAPS National Conferences and National Suicide Survivors Conferences. She has been a flight attendant for American Airlines for nearly three decades, where she provided support to co-workers following 9/11 and flight 587 in 2001. At home in Connecticut, she offers workshops using art and meditation for healing life’s transitions, losses and grief. Karen’s father and two brothers served in the Navy, which cultivated her understanding of military culture. Karen’s personal experience of grief is shaped by the loss of her 48 year old brother. She has two grown children and two cats that are still growing and continue to inspire her own healing.
Joshua Black, Ph.D.
Researcher, Speaker, and Author
Dr. Joshua Black is a grief dreams researcher, speaker, author, and host of the Grief Dreams Podcast. He has focused all of his MA and PhD research (in psychology) on investigating grief dreams from many types of loss (including prenatal loss and pet loss). The majority of his research on grief dreams has been specifically on dreams of the deceased. Due to the lack of academic research in this field, Joshua has focused his efforts on raising awareness on grief dreams through doing talks, workshops, and interviews. Additionally, he hosts the Grief Dreams Podcast, developed a grief dreams website (www.grief dreams.ca), runs several social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), and wrote a children’s book on grief dreams (Dreaming of Owl).
Charles Blankenship, M.D.
Doctor, Medical Consultant
Dr. Charles Blankenship is the former Chief of General Surgery at the National Naval Medical Center. His three-decade military career included assignments as a general surgeon at Naval Regional Medical Center Oakland, Naval Hospital Groton, and National Naval Medical Center Bethesda and ship’s surgeon on USS Coral Sea, USS Carl Vinson, USS America, and USS Kitty Hawk. He also deployed during Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Dr. Blankenship has led workshops and has been a consultant for surviving families at bereavement seminars for over ten years.
Coleen Bowman
TAPS Casework Advocate for Toxic Exposure
Coleen is the widow of SGM Robert Bowman who died of an aggressive cancer nine months after returning from his second deployment to Iraq. Coleen has done advocacy work in Washington, DC for veterans and family members of decreased soldiers for several years, including testifying before the Defense Health Board about the alarmingly high number of military that are coming home with illnesses after being deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. She also attends hearings on Capitol Hill and meets with members of Congress to advocate for legislation that supports veterans causes.
Frank Campbell, Ph.D., LCSW, CT
Suicide Loss Expert
Dr. Frank Campbell is the former Executive Director of the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center and the Crisis Center Foundation in Louisiana. He is currently the Senior Consultant for Campbell and Associates Consulting, where he works with communities on forensic suicidology cases. It was due to his more than 20 years of working with those bereaved by suicide that he introduced his Active Postvention Model (APM), most commonly known as the LOSS Team (Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors). The model has now been replicated in countries as diverse as Australia, Singapore, Northern Ireland, Canada, and America. His work with survivors and victims of trauma has been featured in three Discovery Channel documentaries. Dr. Campbell received the Louis Dublin award at the 2010 American Association of Suicidology Conference. He is a past president of AAS and received the Roger J. Tierney Award for service. He was named Social Worker of the Year in Louisiana and was the first John W. Barton Fellow selected in his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Bonnie Carroll
TAPS President/Founder
"Bonnie Carroll founded the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) in 1994 to create a national support network for all those grieving the death of a military loved one. Following the death of her husband, Brig. Gen. Tom Carroll, who perished in an Army plane crash in 1992 along with seven other Soldiers, she turned her tragedy into a purposeful effort to create what is today the major national organization providing compassionate care for all those grieving the death of a loved one whose life included selfless service to their country.
Since its launch in 1994, TAPS has cared for the more than 85,000 surviving family members through a national network of peer-based emotional support services; a 24/7 helpline available to all those grieving a loss; connections to community based care throughout the nation; and casework assistance for families navigating all of the resources and benefits available to them.
In addition to founding and serving as the President of TAPS, Bonnie has also held appointments in the government, including White House Liaison to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under President George W. Bush; Executive Assistant to the President for Cabinet Affairs under President Reagan; and in Baghdad, Iraq, as the Deputy Senior Advisor for Programs in the Ministry of Communications. During her earlier career in Washington, D.C., Bonnie lived and worked on Capitol Hill as a political consultant on Presidential and Congressional campaigns and consultant on national defense issues.
Bonnie retired as a Major in the Air Force Reserve, where her career included service as Chief, Casualty Operations, HQ USAF. Prior to joining the USAFR, Maj. Carroll served 16 years in the Air National Guard as a Transportation Officer, Logistics Officer, and Executive Officer.
Bonnie has also served on the Defense Health Board, VA Advisory Committee on Families, Caregivers and Survivors, Board of Directors of the Association of Death Education and Counseling, the Department of Defense Military Family Readiness Council, the VA Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation, the Board of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and she as co-chair of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces. She is co-author of Healing Your Grieving Heart After a Military Death and she has published numerous articles on grief and trauma following a military death. She has appeared on CNN, FOX, PBS, BBC, NBC's The Today Show, and other national programs speaking about military loss.
In addition to receiving the 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama, Bonnie was featured in People Magazine as a ""Hero Among Us""; was named a recipient of the Community Heroes Award by the Military Officers Association of America; has been recognized by the Defense Department with the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service and has received the Army's Outstanding Civilian Service Medal and the Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award.
Bonnie holds a degree in Public Administration and Political Science from American University, and has completed Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government's Executive Leadership Program on International Conflict Resolution. She is a graduate of several military service schools, including the USAF Logistics Officer Course, Squadron Officers School, Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, Academy of Military Science and USAF Basic Training (Honor Graduate)."
Franklin Cook, MA, CPC
Personal Grief Coach
Franklin is an Army veteran (1972-1975) whose father, an Air Force veteran (1948-1952), died by suicide in 1978 after a lifelong struggle with alcoholism. Since 1999, Franklin has used his experience as a recovering addict and as a survivor of a loved one's traumatic death to promote and implement peer support for bereaved people. He has worked as a consultant at TAPS seminars since 2012, and he recently helped TAPS produce a booklet for people newly bereaved by suicide. At many TAPS national seminars, he facilitates a nightly sharing group based on the 12-step recovery model. Franklin is currently working on statewide programs in Massachusetts focused on peer help for people bereaved by a death from substance use. His one-on-one work with the traumatically bereaved is described at personalgriefcoach.com.
Bob Delaney
NBA Cares Ambassador, TAPS Advisory Board Member, Speaker, and Author
Bob is currently the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Special Advisor Officiating Development/Performance. He has served as the NBA's Vice President of Referee Operations and Director of Officials for years after 25 seasons as an NBA referee. Prior to his career in professional basketball, Delaney was a highly decorated New Jersey State Trooper who went undercover to infiltrate the mafia; causing his own post-traumatic stress journey. His firsthand experiences coupled with a passion to better understand mental health makes him an expert on the subject. His efforts to educate and bring attention to the topic of post-traumatic stress have entailed visits to military troops around the world, including multiple trips to Afghanistan and Iraq. Described by General Robert Brown, U.S. Army Four Star Commander of the Pacific, as the "person who related to soldiers better than any visitor I have seen in my 36 years in the military," Delaney authored a book on the topic, Surviving the Shadows: A Journey of Hope into Post Traumatic Stress. He is also the author of Covert: My Life Infiltrating the Mob. He is currently working on a new book, Leadership Lessons from the Boardroom, Locker-room, War-room. He has been the subject of numerous media articles and shows including Dr. Sanjay Gupta CNN.
General Martin Dempsey, USA (Ret)
18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, TAPS Board of Directors
General Martin E. Dempsey retired as the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September 2015, after previously serving as the Army’s 37th Chief of Staff. Past assignments have taken him and his family across the globe during both peace and war from platoon leader to combatant commander. He is a 1974 graduate of the United States Military Academy and a career armor officer. General Dempsey’s awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Distinguished Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star with “V” Device and Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Action Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. In addition to his Master's degree in English, he holds Masters' degrees in Military Arts and National Security Studies. Dempsey now brings his extensive leadership qualities to the Chairmanship of USA Basketball. Elected to the post by the board of directors, Dempsey will lead USA Basketball through the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. General Dempsey and his high school sweetheart, Deanie, have three children who each have served in the U.S. Army. They have nine wonderful grandchildren. General Dempsey recently joined the TAPS Board of Directors.
Ken Doka, Ph.D.
Professor, Bereavement Consultant, Author, and TAPS Advisory Board Member
Dr. Kenneth J. Doka is a professor of gerontology at the College of New Rochelle Graduate School and senior consultant to the Hospice Foundation of America. A prolific author, Kenneth's books include Spirituality and End-of-Life Care, Grieving beyond Gender: Understanding the Ways Men and Woman Mourn, and Living with Grief: Children and Adolescents, amongst others. He has published more than 100 articles and book chapters and is editor of both Omega: The Journal of Death and Dying and Journeys: A Newsletter to Help in Bereavement. Dr. Doka has keynote conferences throughout North America as well as Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. He participates in the annual Hospice Foundation of America Teleconference and has appeared on CNN and Nightline. In addition he has served as a consultant to medical, nursing, funeral service and hospice organizations as well as businesses and educational and social service agencies. Dr. Doka is an ordained Lutheran minister.
Lalaine Estella
TAPS Editor
Lalaine Estella is the editor on the TAPS Communications Team and manages the TAPS blog, where she focuses on sharing survivor stories. She came to TAPS as a volunteer at the 2013 National Military Survivor Seminar, and soon after joined the staff. She has served as manager in the TAPS Community Care and Community Relations teams, and has previously worked as a reporter and editor at the Pacific Daily News on Guam and as a research assistant at the University of Texas at San Antonio. When she's not in the office, she enjoys running for Team TAPS, leading yoga practice and walking her dog every day. She holds a master's degree in Public Health from George Washington University, and certification in Thanatology. Lalaine is a surviving daughter of PO1 Francisco Estella, US Navy.
John Feal
Founder & President of the FealGood Foundation
John Feal is best known for his work with the FealGood Foundation (“FGF”), a 9/11 First Responder advocacy group that has provided both economic aide and individual comfort to countless First Responders, as well as his tireless efforts on behalf of those Responders in the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.
Derek Fronabarger
Wounded Warrior Project
As the former Director of Policy at Student Veterans of America, Mr. Fronabarger passed legislation that became known as the Forever GI Bill. Currently, Mr. Fronabarger is one of the Legislative Director for Wounded Warrior Project and services this nations most critically ill, injured, and wounded veterans in the Post 9/11 generation.
Valerie Gagne
TAPS Impact Assessment
Valerie is an Air Force spouse and surviving sister-in-law. She has supported the TAPS mission first as a Peer Mentor, then as a member of the National Military Survivor Helpilne and member of Impact Assessment. Valerie dedicates her work with TAPS to honor the life of her brother-in-law, CTRSN Jason Clay Springer, who was serving in the US Navy at the time of his death in 1997.
Allison Gilbert
Journalist, Author, Speaker, and TAPS Advisory Board Member
Allison Gilbert, a member of the TAPS Advisory Board, is a thought-provoking and influential writer and speaker on grief and resilience. An Emmy award-winning journalist and author of numerous books, including the groundbreaking Passed and Present: Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive, she offers uplifting and imaginative strategies for remembering loved ones we never want to forget. Allison is also co-editor of Covering Catastrophe: Broadcast Journalists Report September 11, the definitive historical record of how broadcast journalists covered that tragic day. The landmark book was turned into a documentary by the U.S. State Department and distributed to embassies and consulates around the world. Allison graduated from Georgetown University and lives outside New York City. You can learn more about her by visiting www.allisongilbert.com.
James Gordon, MD
Founder & Executive Director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine and TAPS Advisory Board Member
James Gordon, a Harvard educated psychiatrist, is a world-renowned expert in using mind-body medicine to heal depression, anxiety, and psychological trauma. He is the Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM), a Clinical Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Family Medicine at Georgetown Medical School, and served as Chairman of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. Dr. Gordon has created groundbreaking programs of comprehensive mind-body healing for physicians, medical students, and other health professionals; for people with cancer, depression and other chronic illnesses; and for traumatized children and families in Bosnia, Kosovo, Israel, Gaza, Haiti, and Syrian refugees in Jordan; in post-9/11 New York and post-Katrina southern Louisiana; with Native Americans on Pine Ridge Reservation, and for veterans and active duty military. Dr. Gordon’s new book The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma will be published by HarperOne in September 2019. He is also the author of Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven Stage Journey Out of Depression.
Jennifer Harlow
Jennifer Harlow is the Assistant Project Manager supporting the DoD Online Survivor Benefit Report (OSBR) program managed by AFSC Magellan Federal. In this roll, she supports the OSBR Family Assistance Support Team (FAST), MyArmyBenefits, and the future MyAirForceBenefits website. She has 20 years of experience providing support to military survivors and service members. Jen has served as a military and survivor benefits expert and has experience as a Department of Veterans Affairs Service Officer. She is proficient in military survivor benefits law and claim filing with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Social Security Administration, Tricare, DEERS, SGLI/VGLI, and Department of Veterans Affairs. Surviving Daughter of SGT. Jeffrey L. Boster, USAF
Hilary Harrington, MA, LCPC, CT
Clinical Grief Counselor, Gilchrist Hospice Care
Hilary Harrington, MA, LCPC, CT, has been a clinical grief counselor with Gilchrist for over 12 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Bucknell University and Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Towson University. Ms. Harrington is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, holds a Certification in Thanatology awarded by ADEC (Association for Death Education and Counseling) and is trained in EMDR. Ms. Harrington has presented locally for school and healthcare systems and nationally for NHPCO (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization) and ADEC. Her work at Gilchrist includes individual counseling for children, teens and adults and facilitating support groups and workshops.
Ashlynne Haycock
TAPS Deputy Director Policy and Legislation
Ashlynne is the Deputy Director Policy and Legislation for TAPS. She helped facilitate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between TAPS and the Department of Veterans Affairs that allows TAPS to make it easier for survivors to access their benefits. Ashlynne is the surviving daughter of Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Haycock, who died while training to deploy in 2002, and Senior Airman Nichole Haycock, who died by suicide in 2011. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the American University in 2013. Before joining the TAPS staff, Ashlynne attended the Good Grief Camp for seven years and volunteered as a GGC mentor for four years. She manages TAPS Education Services, assisting survivors with access to education benefits, and also serves on the VA's Advisory Committee on Education.
Kellie Hazlett
TAPS Sr Manager, Peer Mentor Program & Online Care Programs
Kellie serves as the Senior Manager for the Peer Mentor & Online Care Community programs, fostering connections with survivors and engagement of TAPS Peer Mentors. Her passion for supporting military families is a tribute to her first husband, CPT Mark Nickles, USMC, who died in an aviation accident in 1997. Kellie holds a BA in Broadcast Journalism, a MA in Elementary Education and Curriculum Development, and a certification in critical/emergency medical care as a Respiratory Therapist. She also has advanced training in death, dying, and bereavement through the Center for Loss & Life Transition. Kellie’s passion to support peer-based care transcends the everyday survivor connection.
Drew Helmer, MD
Director of New Jersey War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC)
Dr. Helmer is an expert in post-deployment health, the impact of combat deployment on the health and well- being of military service members. He has been the Director of the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) at the VA-New Jersey Health Care System and Associate Professor of Medicine at Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School since December 2011.
Rayanne Hunter
Nutrition coach, yoga instructor
Rayanne Hunter is a Mind-Body Nutrition Coach, yoga instructor and wholehearted advocate of outdoor therapy in any form. A yoga enthusiast for most of her life, she enjoys sharing it with her son and daughter and in her work. Specializing in anxiety and posttraumatic stress, she uses her knowledge from a variety of training backgrounds, interests and personal experiences to help people explore the person they are meant to be. Having grown up in a military family, she served in the Army National Guard and is the surviving spouse of SSG Wesley Hunter. Leading to a passion for working with military and their families, including gold star families. Hoping to guide those who are grieving, dealing with injuries, or struggling with everyday life stressors by using body movement, yoga, meditation, reiki, modern shaman techniques, woman circles, outdoor therapy, mind/body nutrition and eating psychology principles. Always looking for ways to inspire people to grow; in their lives, in their transitions, in learning to embrace, trust and love their self again. Rayanne has hosted events, mentored, led workshops and grief care groups with TAPS since 2010. She also volunteers with Heroes on the Water, and privately works with individuals and small groups. She and her two children live on their small farm in Summerfield, NC.
Chef Robert Irvine
Celebrity Chef
"Robert Irvine is a 16 year Navy veteran, world-class chef, fitness authority, and philanthropist. He seeks to inspire people to live better through all his endeavors. A tireless supporter of our veterans, he gives back to those who defend our freedoms.
Robert pioneered a new genre of programming for Food Network with his extreme cooking challenge show, Dinner: Impossible, which ran for 7 seasons and over 100 episodes.
He parlayed that success into the even more popular Restaurant: Impossible, which ran for 13 seasons and 160 episodes. Robert didn’t just renovate restaurants and retrain staff in record time, he counseled owners through personal problems that were destroying their businesses. At its peak, 1.2 million viewers tuned in on a weekly basis.
Robert has also hosted or appeared on Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America, Next Iron Chef, Restaurant Express, Chopped: Impossible, Guy’s Grocery Games: Impossible, A Hero’s Welcome, Food Network Star, ABC’s Body of Proof, ABC Family’s Melissa and Joey among others."
Erin Jacobson
Senior Advisor, Outreach and Engagement
Erin has over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector and is the founder of the Women’s Empowerment program at TAPS. Erin came on staff in 2011, building transformative programing within the retreat and seminar programs with an emphasis in art, mindfulness and nature based healing. Previous to TAPS, Erin’s worked as a counselor at a residential treatment with at risk young women. Erin is the surviving fiancee of Army Ranger Cpl. Jason Kessler. Erin’s undergraduate studies include Art History, Religious Studies, and a bachelor’s degree in Counseling as well as master's studies in Nonprofit Leadership from Fordham University.
Amanda Jaska, MA, LCPC, NCC, CT
Clinical Grief Counselor, Gilchrist Hospice Care
Amanda Jaska, MA, LCPC, NCC, CT, has been employed as a Clinical Grief Counselor with Gilchrist since 2007. Ms. Jaska earned a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling Psychology from LaSalle University, is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Maryland, a National Certified Counselor, and holds the credential Certified in Thanatology from the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Ms. Jaska is a national speaker, having presented at NHPCO’s 15th Clinical Team Conference and Pediatric Intensive as well as the 36th Annual ADEC Conference. In addition to providing individual and group support to bereaved individuals, she has offered support to local schools and agencies focusing on topics such as grief and self-care.
Rachel Kodanaz
Author, Speaker, and Corporate Consultant
Rachel Kodanaz is a heart-minded author, speaker, and consultant helping her audiences embrace life’s challenges at work and at home. Overcoming her own adversity following the sudden death of her husband coupled with her experience in the management of large corporations, she is fully aware of the seesaw created when personal and professional challenges collide. Rachel was instrumental in creating and supporting all programs at HeartLight Grief and Loss Center in Denver as a facilitator, board member, and executive director. She has served as a Board of Director on numerous not-for-profits including Soaring Spirits International (Camp Widow) and Denver Grief Network Alliance. Rachel has been speaking passionately to national audiences for 20 years, her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including Good Morning America, and her books (Finding Peace, One Piece at a Time (summer 2019), Living with Loss, One Day at a Time, and Grief in the Workplace) have received international acclaim. www.rachelkodanaz.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rkodanaz/ , https://twitter.com/RachelKodanaz
Linda Langford, SC.D.
Evaluation & Communications Scientist
Linda has been at the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) since 2006. In recent years, she has worked on several efforts designed to promote safe and effective messaging in suicide prevention. She supported the development of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Framework for Successful Messaging (SuicidePreventionMessaging.org), which aims to increase the effectiveness of public communications and help shift the focus to include hope, help, resiliency, resources, and taking positive action. She provided an April 2009 briefing on safe and effective suicide prevention messaging and stigma reduction to the Department of Defense Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide by Members of the Armed Forces and is the lead author of an American Journal of Public Health article on safe and effective communications about military and veteran suicide. She served as an expert on Make the Connection, an online resource for Veterans and their supporters to find information, resources, and solutions to issues affecting their lives and her real stories of Veterans who have dealt with tough times. She has conducted numerous trainings and workshops on creating effective communications, including co-facilitating dialogue sessions with suicide loss survivors who are interested in working in prevention. From 1998 to 2005, she was an Assistant Clinical Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, teaching a core course in strategic planning for health behavior change in the health communications program. Dr. Langford holds a doctorate in social and behavioral sciences from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Emily Munoz
TAPS Director, Health & Wellness
Emily Munoz is the creative force behind the Inner Warrior portion of the Women’s Empowerment curriculum. Her work at TAPS is grounded in studies of mental and physical agility and informed by an understanding of the healing power of real talk, psychological flow, resistance training, and dance parties. She holds a M.S. in Emergency Management from Massachusetts Maritime Academy, with an emphasis on mental and physical resilience training for first responders.
Donna Naslund, RN
Registered Nurse and Chair Yoga Instructor
Donna Naslund, RN, 200 hour RYI, Certified Chair Yoga Instructor is a former registered nurse with over 15 years’ experience in ICU and Emergency Room settings. She has worked in bereavement for the last 12 years. Donna currently volunteers at Gilchrist Hospice in Baltimore, Maryland where she serves as an end of life doula, grief support group facilitator and grief services program developer. Donna is a registered yoga instructor and runs yoga and grief programming for Gilchrist Grief Services. She recently traveled to Parkland, Florida to offer Chair Yoga for grief, stress and trauma to survivors of the recent school shooting at MSD High School. Her personal experiences with grief include being widowed at the age of 26, the stillborn death of a baby daughter, the death of her father and the suicide of her seventeen year old, niece. This is her 8th year facilitating in the Open Art Studio for TAPS.
Eileen O'Grady, PhD
Certified Nurse Practitioner and Wellness Coach
Eileen O'Grady, PhD is an Adult Nurse Practitioner and Wellness Coach, has practiced primary care for over two decades. She recently co-authored and edited the textbook, Advanced Practice Nurses: An Integrative Approach 6th ed. (Elsevier) published in 2018. She has extensive experience in health care, uses an evidence-based approach with people to reverse or entirely prevent disease and she is an expert on intentional change in adults. She believes deeply that more attention must be paid to getting us unstuck from lifestyles that do not support wellness. Dr. O’Grady has a practice that includes coaching individuals on a wide range of issues and speaks all over the U.S. emphasizing the importance of extreme self-care, high-level wellness and how to identify and remedy a life that is out balance.
Tessy Ojo
Chief Executive, The Diana Award
Tessy Ojo is the Chief Executive of The Diana Award – the only charity that bears the name of Diana, Princess of Wales and through it has developed internationally recognised programmes that give young people skills to create positive change. Tessy is a passionate campaigner for social equity and justice for young people. At the heart of her work is the belief that, with the right support and investment, young people are the best instigators for achieving sustainable change for both themselves and society. Tessy sits on a number of non-Executive Boards including; The BBC’s Advisory Committee, Comic Relief, The Royal Taskforce on Cyberbullying and UK Council For Child Internet Safety. In 2019 Tessy became the first British person to be honoured with the Martin Luther King Award.
Racquel Pearce
Lead Survivor Benefits Specialist, Family Assistance Support Team
Ms. Racquel Pearce serves as the Lead Survivor Benefits Specialist of the Family Assistance Support Team (FAST) which administers the DoD Online Survivor Benefits Report (OSBR) program managed by AFSC Magellan Federal. Racquel has over 10 years of experience providing sincere support and guidance to the surviving spouses, service members and retirees of our military community. Specializing in military benefits such as Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), Veterans Affairs, TRICARE, and Social Security. Previous experience includes Tricare Customer Service Specialist, civilian HMO Customer Service Representative, and licensed Realtor.
Jon K. Reid, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, FT
Trauma Counselor and TAPS Advisory Board Member
Dr. Jon K. Reid is an experienced counselor in a variety of contexts, including public schools, churches, counseling agencies, psychiatric hospitals, and private practice. For six years, he served as consultant and supervisor of grief counselors for Camp Strong Heart, a summer camp for grieving children. Jon has also consulted with earthquake survivors in Sichuan Province, China, and has made professional presentations in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Barbados. A long-time member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC), he served as president of the its board (2013-2014) and recently received the Award for Service to the Association (2019). He is a National Certified Counselor. He has been a faculty member in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Southeastern Oklahoma State University for more than 25 years and recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Faculty Senate (2019).
Denise Rollins, PhD
Denise Rollins is a master life coach, speaker and and executive director of the Whole Heart Grief & Life Resource Center in Frederick, Maryland, where her team offers one-on-one coaching and group support services. She holds a doctorate in marriage and family therapy and a masters in thanatology. In addition, at the Gary L. Rollins Funeral Home in Maryland, she partners with her husband, Gary, in managing the business and providing aftercare services. She has more than 20 years of experience in corporate America, where her roles included training, human resources and diversity. Denise's personal experience with loss changed her career path. She is author of 2Grieve 2Gether: A Journal from the Heart Helping Survivors & Supporters Navigate the Healing Process, an autobiographical account of her own grief journey. http://www.thewholeheartcenter.org and my facebook link is https://www.facebook.com/TheWholeHeartCenter/
Artie Shelton, MD
Director, Veterans Health Council
Dr. Shelton currently serves as the Director Veterans Health Council of Vietnam Veterans of America where he and his staff are aggressively addressing the issue of toxic exposure affecting our military service members and veterans.
Shauna Springer, Ph.D.
Senior Director, TAPS Suicide Prevention and Postvention Initiatives
Shauna is known to many veterans as Doc Springer. She has helped hundreds of warriors reconnect with their tribe, strengthen their most important relationships, and build lives that are driven by their deepest values. Dr. Springer has particular expertise in attachment processes, trauma recovery, innovative suicide prevention approaches, relationship counseling, peer support program development, and veteran issues, including post-discharge adjustment and strategies for engaging Veterans in behavioral health care.
Heather Stang, MA, C-IAYT
Thanatologist, Mindfulness Speaker, Author, and TAPS Advisory Board Member
Heather Stang is a thanatologist and mindfulness speaker along with the author of Mindfulness & Grief. Her focus on teaching others to use mindfulness-based techniques to reduce stress, cope with grief, and cultivate personal growth is inspired by her own journey of love, loss, and post-traumatic growth. She is best known for using present-moment awareness to relieve suffering, cope with loss, and eventually re-engage with life. Heather developed a “Yoga for Grief” course, an 8 week program uniting yoga, meditation, journaling, expressive arts and death education. She has a master's in Thanatology from Hood College and is the founder of the Frederick Meditation Center in Maryland. Heather is a public and keynote speaker, presenting for organizations such as National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation, National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization, LiveOnNY Organ Donation Network, Association of Death Education and Counseling, and the Maryland Library Association.
Sharon Strouse, MA, ATR-BC, LCPAT
Art Therapist and TAPS Advisory Board Member
Sharon Strouse, MA, ATR-BC, LCPAT, is a board-certified art therapist and licensed clinical professional art therapist with 30 years of clinical experience with adults. A year after her 17-year old daughter Kristin ended her own life; Sharon immersed herself in a creative process involving collage which became the foundation for her book, Artful Grief: A Diary of Healing. Additional published works can be found in Techniques of Grief Therapy: Creative Practices for Counseling the Bereaved, Grief and the Expressive Arts: Practices for Creating Meaning, Exploring Ethical Issues in Art Therapy and Prescriptive Memory in Grief and Loss: The Art of Dreamscaping. She is a workshop presenter for The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors 2008-2018, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, The Association for Death Education and Counseling, The Compassionate Friends, the American Art Therapy Association and the Expressive Therapies Summit. She is a board member on the Johns Hopkins Medicine: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Sharon is co-founder of The Kristin Rita Strouse Foundation (www.krsf.com) a non-profit dedicated to supporting programs that increase awareness of Mental Health through education and the arts. In addition to national workshops, she leads weekly art therapy and meditation circles for survivors of loss. www.artfulgrief.com; devotion5@hotmail.com
Carla Stumpf-Patton, ED.D., LMHC, NCC, FT-PATTON, ED
Senior Director of Postvention Programs
Carla serves as the Suicide Survivor Services Director at TAPS. In this position, she provides the outreach and care to families after the traumatic loss of a service member, supports survivors who may be experiencing emotional crisis, and supervises the Suicide Survivor Care Team who provides long-term, peer-based support to surviving families. As a subject matter expert concerning issues surrounding grief, trauma, and/or suicide, she consults with civilian providers and military leaders in providing effective outreach with military personnel, veterans, and military families. Her credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and a Doctorate of Education as a Counseling Psychologist, with dissertation research on military families bereaved by suicide. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Thanatologist, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and counseling educator in higher academia. Carla is the surviving spouse of Marine Corps Drill Instructor Sgt. Richard Stumpf who died by suicide in 1994.
Paul Tschudi, Ed.S., MA, LPC
Grief Counselor and TAPS Advisory Board Member
Paul Tschudi has more than 25 years of experience working with people facing grief, loss, and life transitions. He maintained a private counseling practice for more than 15 years before his faculty appointment at George Washington University. Currently, Paul is an assistant professor with dual appointments at the George Washington University's School of Medicine and Health Sciences as well as the Graduate School of Education and Human Development Counseling Department. Paul is a faculty advisor for both the ISCOPES Transitioning Veterans Collaborative service learning team and the George Washington University Student Veterans Organization. In addition, he conducts workshops, retreats and classes for colleges, nonprofit organizations, conferences, government agencies and companies addressing issues of loss, grief, spirituality, veterans transitional issues and self-care. He is also the former Executive Director of The Wendt Center, a center for counseling and educating people living with loss and illness. His interest in end-of-life issues was borne out of the experience of serving as a medic in Vietnam.
Sarah Vollmann, MPS, ATR-BC, LICSW
Clinical Social Worker and Art Therapist
Sarah Vollmann, MPS, ATR-BC, LICSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and a board-certified art therapist. She earned her master's in art therapy from Pratt Institute and her master's in social work from Columbia University. Sarah currently works with adolescents at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge Massachusetts, and with bereaved patients in her private practice. Her 20 years of experience have spanned a variety of settings, including a pediatric medical hospital, a residential treatment facility, and a mental health clinic. Sarah worked with 9/11 families, has published on grief and loss, and has presented nationally and internationally on art therapy, grief, and bereavement.
William Wagasy
Vice President, Commonwealth Land Title Company and TAPS Advisory Board Member
William Wagasy, a former Notre Dame football player under Coach Lou Holtz, William graduated with an accounting degree and a second major in philosophy in 1996. He went on to receive his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University in 2000 and his master’s in dispute resolution from Pepperdine in 2001. Following the attacks of 9/11, he enlisted in the Navy. He is a decorated U.S. Navy SEAL, having completed four combat tours from 2002 to 2012, three to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. After his time in the Navy, he served as the Director of Veterans Outreach for the Gary Sinise Foundation and continues to be an ambassador for the foundation. Today he is the Vice President of National Sales, National Commercial Services for Commonwealth Land Title Company as well as for Fidelity National Title Group for Home Builder Services.
Ryan Weaver
Country Music Artist
"Ryan’s personal story is like no other artist in country music today. Growing up with a family of eleven in a small town in Floral City, Florida, he joined the Army right after high school. After several years of working as a Military Intelligence Analyst, Ryan followed in the footsteps of his two older brothers, Steve and Aaron, by attending Warrant Officer Candidate School and flight school. He graduated top of his class in flight school, becoming a Black Hawk Aviator. In April 2003, he deployed to Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Shortly after, one of his brothers, Aaron, was deployed just west of him in Fallujah.
On January 8, 2004, Aaron was killed in action when the Medivac helicopter he was a passenger in was shot down by enemy fire. Ryan certainly understood mortality and the risks of combat… After all, Aaron had survived the bloody 1993 battle in Mogadishu, Somalia – the same battle that became the basis for the movie, Black Hawk Down. When Aaron died, however, something changed for Ryan. He returned from combat, taking a new position training the next generation of Army aviators and officers at Fort Rucker, Alabama and has not piloted a Black Hawk since that fateful day.
On December 17, 2013 Ryan’s brother-in-law, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy Billings, was killed in action in Afghanistan when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting was shot down by an enemy ground-detonated explosive device. This second heartbreaking loss made the Weaver family a two-time Gold Star family. Both of his brothers’ ultimate sacrifices continue to fuel Ryan’s fire to accomplish his dreams in music.
In late 2016, Ryan released the music video for his single “Burn,” featuring Kris “Tanto” Paranto and John “Tig” Tiegen from the movie 13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. “Burn” aired nationwide on The Country Network and Heartland, and internationally at over 5,000 retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues throughout the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017. Ryan’s first music video “Crank It” played nationally on ZUUS Country TV and TNN/Heartland Network and spent 8 weeks on their Top 10 Video Countdown - a network record.
In 2017, Ryan was named the Patriotic Voice of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) for their Celebrate America Campaign. The World Finals is the biggest global stage in professional bull riding - a booming sport now seen in more than 400 million homes worldwide. The Celebrate America Campaign is a season-long initiative that honors America’s heroes, inspires youth, and brings communities together. Weaver made his debut in the primetime performance slot, which was previously held by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler in 2016. At that time, the PBR officially launched Ryan as a PBR artist and debuted his new EP entitled Celebrate America. Ryan worked closely with hit songwriter Wynn Varble on the Celebrate America EP, co-writing three of the four songs. He has toured the U.S. with the PBR, performing his songs and singing the “National Anthem.”
Ryan performed on the first single from the West Point Military Academy’s Benny Havens Band’s debut album Songs That Save Our Lives. The song was short-listed for GRAMMY Award consideration in the American Roots category. The album also featured Charlie Daniels. "
Ben Wolfe, M.Ed., LICSW, FT
Thanatology Fellow and TAPS Advisory Board Member
Ben is a grief, loss and transition trainer and consultant after 28 years as director and grief therapist of St. Mary's Medical Center's Grief Support CenteBen is a grief, loss and transition trainer and consultant after 28 years as director and grief therapist of St. Mary’s Medical Center’s Grief Support Center in Duluth, Minnesota, where he provided life-threatening illness and bereavement counseling (from any cause of death) for all ages. He is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Fellow in Thanatology as well as a former president of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and has received a number of awards, including the ADEC Service Award in 1994, the ADEC Death Educator of the Year Award in 2011, the first-ever Senator Paul Wellstone Legacy Award presented by the Minnesota School Counselors Association in May 2004 for his work with schools and communities in crisis, and in May 2005 was selected as “Employee of the Year” by St. Mary’s Medical Center. He was appointed by the National Kidney Foundation from 2001 to 2005 to the 11-member National Donor Family Council Executive Committee. He consults and trains internationally and has given over 2,000 presentations dealing with grief and loss. He is a clinical member of the Northeastern Minnesota CISD team, and in 2013 was awarded the regional “Friend of EMS Award.” In addition to chapters in books, he has authored numerous articles related to grief and loss and served for ten years on the St. Mary’s Medical Center’s Bio-Ethics Committee. Additionally, for over 25 years Ben taught university graduate courses on death and dying, and for 23 years he also taught a course on life-threatening illness at the University of Minnesota, Duluth School of Medicine. He also loves to bake bread…the old fashion way…by hand!
Claire Wudowsky
Claire and her charitable organization, Knitters and Crocheters Care, have donated handcrafted items and taught knitting and chochet at TAPS since 2001. Claire is honored to be included in the TAPS National Survivor Seminar again this year and looks forward to working with TAPS families.