Keynote Speakers
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Alan L. Berman, PhD (Lanny)
Dr. Berman is Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Between 1995 and 2014 he served as Executive Director of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS). Prior to this he attained the rank of tenured full professor of psychology at American University (1969-1991) and was named Director of the National Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide at the Washington School of Psychiatry (1991-1995). He is a Past-President of the AAS (1984-1985) and of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (2009-2013). He is the AAS’s 1982 Shneidman Award recipient (for Outstanding Contributions in Research in Suicidology), and 2006 Louis I. Dublin Award recipient (for outstanding service and contributions to the field of suicide prevention). A Diplomate in Clinical Psychology and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the International Academy for Suicide Research, Dr. Berman maintains a private practice of psychological and forensic consultation in Chevy Chase, MD. He has published over 135 professional articles and book chapters and has edited/authored 8 books. |
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Cal Beyer, CWP, NAC
Calvin Beyer is Senior Director of SAFE Workplaces for national nonprofit SAFE Project (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic). Beyer leads national efforts to integrate mental health, substance use, suicide and overdose prevention into workplace culture—particularly within the construction industry. With over 35 years of experience in safety, risk management, and organizational strategy, he has held leadership roles at, Holmes Murphy Lakeside Industries, Arch Insurance, and Zurich North America. A champion of human capital risk management, Cal helped launch the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention and co-led the Workplace Task Force. He serves on the Executive Committee for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. He has authored more than 150 articles, delivered over 500 presentations, helped organize 30 regional suicide prevention summits and conferences His contributions have been recognized by Engineering News-Record (ENR) as a Top 25 Newsmaker and honored by the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and United Suicide Survivors International. A Certified Wellness Practitioner with a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas, Cal is known for his integrity, vision, and unwavering commitment to saving lives and improving workforce wellbeing. |
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Mark Sinyor, MSc., MD, FRCPC
Dr. Mark Sinyor is a Staff Psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and lead of Sunnybrook’s Suicide Prevention Research Collaborative (SPRC). He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles on the topic of suicide. His research focuses mainly on population-level strategies for suicide prevention with an emphasis on how media messaging impacts suicide. He also conducts studies of coroner records of suicide deaths in Ontario as well as a small number of clinical trials. Dr. Sinyor is Vice President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and global lead of IASP’s flagship “Partnerships for Life” initiative aimed at coordinated action to reduce suicide in countries worldwide. He is lead author of the Canadian Psychiatric Association guidelines on responsible media reporting about suicide. He has also created a free mental health literacy curriculum that teaches middle schoolers coping skills and distress managements while reading “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” in English language. The curriculum has been used by thousands of young people worldwide. |
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Matt Zakreski, PsyD
As a keynote speaker, Dr. Zakreski brings an engaging blend of energy, humor, heart, and authenticity to his presentations. He has a gift for translating complex neuropsychology concepts into practical strategies that resonate and connect with audiences. His talks are not only informative but also deeply inspiring, providing his audiences with realistic, tangible approaches to navigating the world, informed by brain science and best clinical practice. Dr. Zakreski seeks to entertain, inform, and inspire wherever he speaks. Dr. Zakreski covers a wide range of topics, including creating hope, managing imposter syndrome, overcoming perfectionism, and fostering emotional intelligence. His engaging style and ability to connect with his audience create an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impact. Dr. Zakreski is a respected author, whose work appears in peer-reviewed journals and industry periodicals, including Gifted Child Today, Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, and Journal of Gifted Education and Creativity. Recognized as an expert on child psychology, he was quoted in a recent New York Times article on millennial parents. Dr. Zakreski’s first book, Neurodiversity Playbook: How Neurodivergent People Can Crack the Code of Living in a Neurotypical World, was published in late 2024 and debuted at #1 on Amazon's gifted students' education new releases list. Committed to advancing mental health awareness and neurodivergent equity, Dr. Zakreski co-hosts the Nerding out on Neurodiversity podcast. He is also a frequent guest on psychology and education podcasts, including Learn With Dr. Emily, the Autism/ADHD Podcast, and That’s Total Mom-Sense. Dr. Zakreski is driven by his mission to promote a culture of compassion and understanding in order to support people in embracing understanding and celebrating their unique brains and ways of operating in the world. There’s nothing he enjoys more than partnering with an organization to advance that cause. |
Breakout Speakers:
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William Beverly, Ph.D., LMFT, CCHP
Dr. Beverly is a licensed psychologist and faculty member in the counseling department at South Mountain Community College, where he also serves as Coordinator of the Behavioral Health Sciences program. Dr. Beverly has held leadership positions in a wide array of behavioral health settings overseeing numerous behavioral health programs across the state of Arizona, including residential treatment for teens, therapeutic group homes for adults with serious mental illness, forensic psychological services, sex offender treatment, and general outpatient counseling and psychiatric services. He was previously the Lead Psychologist for the Maricopa County jail system, where he co-developed a trauma-informed model for training officers working with inmates with mental illness and cognitive impairment. Dr. Beverly has conducted numerous workshops and published on the topic of suicide prevention and intervention with vulnerable populations. Dr. Beverly is also an adjunct professor at Northern Arizona University, where he has taught in the educational psychology department for the last 10 years. |
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Angela Cross
Angela is a graduate from the University of Arizona with a degree in Human Services. While pursuing her degree, she found a passion and love for spreading the word and ending the stigma on mental health conditions. After interning for NAMI Valley of the Sun, Angela was hired to run the NAMI Ending the Silence Program which specializes in mental health and wellness for youth and their families. She devotes her time to getting this program running and connecting with as many youth as possible. She believes that by opening the discussion on mental health and forming a community around the subject, we can reduce the rate of suicide, especially in our youth. With experience in the nonprofit world of mental health, Angela has worked on delivering presentations and resources to middle schools and high schools, as well as various community venues and conferences. Passionate about suicide prevention, she helps NAMI VOS dispel the stigma surrounding mental health while providing resources for community members who may be struggling with their mental health. Outside of work, Angela is usually either on the soccer field or in the dance studio with her four children. She also loves to hike, read and spend time with her family. |
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Andre Davis
Andre Davis is the Operations Division Manager for the Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office in Florence, Arizona. He brings nearly 15 years of experience in medicolegal death investigation, having begun his career with the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over the course of his career, Andre has served in a variety of investigative and leadership roles across multiple medicolegal systems, including Deputy Coroner, Medicolegal Investigator, Lead Investigator, and Investigations Supervisor. Andre holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is a Board-Certified Fellow of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI), and serves as the current chairman of the Pinal County Overdose Fatality Review Board. |
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Bishop John P. Dolan
On August 2, 2022, Bishop Dolan was installed as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix. Bishop Dolan brings to his ministry a deep and personal commitment to mental health advocacy. Having lost three siblings and a brother-in-law to suicide, he has become a compassionate voice within the Church for those affected by mental illness and suicide loss. In the Diocese of Phoenix, he has:
Mental Health Ministers, continuing to advocate for greater understanding, healing, and pastoral care within the Church for all those impacted by mental health challenges. |
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Jeff Erickson
Jeff received his bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Brigham Young University. Jeff then went on to receive his DMD degree in dentistry at the Oregon Health Sciences University. He received his Master's in Mental Health Counseling from Grand Canyon University in 2022. Jeff is an author and lecturer. He has written 30 books on a variety of topics. He enjoys speaking, teaching, reading, and writing and any outdoor sport. He is a pickleball enthusiast. He loves watching his children play sports. He is a father of seven children. He and his good wife have been Gilbert/Mesa residents for 25 years and he loves to hike and constantly explore and find new activities in the state of Arizona. |
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Talmage Erickson
Talmage Erickson and Jeff Erickson, AKA "The Screen Guys." Jeff is a licensed Therapist and sexual addiction counselor, and Talmage is a recent college graduate. They are on a mission to change the way we use our technology and social media. When Talmage was 14, his dad invited him to use a flip phone for all of his high school. He agreed, and learned how to manage digital devices thoroughly. Now, together, they teach parents, students, and educators how to become digitally deliberate. |
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Frank King
A nationally known suicide prevention and postvention speaker and trainer, was a writer for The Tonight Show for 20 years, is a corporate comedian, syndicated humor columnist, and podcast personality, who was featured on CNN’s Business Unusual. Depression and suicide run his family. He’s thought about killing himself more times than he can count. He’s fought a lifetime battle with depression, and thoughts of ending his life, turning that long dark journey of the soul into sharing his lifesaving insights on mental and emotional health awareness, with corporation, association, youth (middle school and high school), and college audiences, As an inspirational and motivational speaker and trainer he uses the life lessons from the above, as well as lessons learned as a rather active consumer of healthcare, both mental and physical, to start the conversation giving people who battle mental and emotional illness permission to give voice to their feelings and experiences surrounding depression and suicide, and to create a common pool of knowledge in which those who suffer, and those who care about them, can swim. And doing it by coming out, as it were, and standing in his truth, and doing it with humor. He believes that where there is humor there is hope, where there is laughter there is life, nobody dies laughing. He has written a book on men’s mental fitness, Guts, Grit, and the Grind, with two coauthors. |
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Nikki Kontz, LMSW
Nikki is the Clinical Director for Teen Lifeline, a local non-profit dedicated to providing a safe, confidential and crucial crisis service where teens help teens make healthy decisions. She has been working in the field for the past 16 years including work on a crisis mobile team, postvention intervention and assessment for hospitalization. Nikki possesses a master’s Degree in social work from Arizona State University and specializes in mental health issues, crisis intervention, suicide prevention/postvention and education, and adolescence. She currently is a state Licensed Master Social Worker, a certified crisis worker through the American Association of Suicidology, field instructor for the Social Work Department at ASU, and serves as the President on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition. |
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Kate Kucharski
Kate Kucharski is a human resources professional with more than 15 years of executive leadership experience in the roofing and hospitality sectors, bringing deep expertise in workforce strategy, compliance, and organizational culture. She currently serves as Director of Business Engagement & Wellbeing at Valley Leadership, where she partners with Arizona employers to strengthen workplace practices that support employee wellbeing. In this role, Kate leads employer outreach and partnerships for Valley Leadership’s Opioid Business Toolkit, a grant-funded initiative designed to help organizations reduce stigma around substance use disorders, implement supportive policies, and connect employees and their families to critical resources. She works closely with business leaders, HR teams, and industry associations across Arizona to expand awareness, provide practical HR guidance, and promote recovery-friendly workplace practices. |
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Daniel Mercado
Daniel Mercado is the founder and owner of Resource Employee Care, a proactive employee support program serving the construction industry and beyond. With nearly 30 years of experience helping individuals navigate life’s challenges, Daniel brings expertise in crisis response, mental health support, leadership development, and relationship-centered care. His hands-on approach helps companies strengthen workplace culture while supporting employees through personal and professional challenges with compassion, trust, and practical guidance. Contact Mercado at [email protected] or 623/271-2672. www.recarizona.com |
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Paula McCall, Ph.D., NCSP
Dr. Paula McCall is a Licensed Psychologist, Nationally Certified School Psychologist, mother of two teenagers, owner of Next Step Psychology, and founder of Semicolon Society, a nonprofit focused on community-based suicide prevention. Dr. McCall has worked as a special education teacher and school psychologist, and she has been in private practice for nearly 15 years, providing comprehensive, affirming, and empowering psychological evaluations and therapy. Dr. McCall’s areas of expertise include Autism, Intellectual Disabilities, ADHD, trauma, grief, crisis planning, and suicidal ideation. She is neurodiverse affirming and an LGBTQIA+ ally. Dr. McCall has collaborated with multiple school districts, businesses, and organizations to build suicide risk assessment, prevention, and postvention procedures, as well various trainings within her other areas of expertise and their crossover into suicidality. She has presented for organizations including the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists, and she has received the award for Distinguished Contribution to the Professional Practice of Psychology by the Arizona Psychological Association. Dr. McCall also was honored to have been named one of Chandler, Arizona’s 2025 Women of the Year. |
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Lisa O'Neill, DBH, MPH
Dr. Lisa O’Neill is the Associate Director of Education and Policy at the University of Arizona Center on Aging, and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, General Internal Medicine, and Palliative Medicine. In addition to grant management and developing geriatric educational materials for community and academic audiences, she serves on several statewide councils and workgroups, including the Arizona Department of Health Services Suicide Prevention for Older Adults Workgroup, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging, and Senator Kelly’s Senior Citizen Advisory Group. She has also been an active member in the development of three state plans including the Arizona Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2024-2026, the Arizona Alzheimer’s and Related Dementia State Plan 2024-2029, and the Arizona Family Caregiver Action Plan 2025-2028. In 2015 she was named Gerontologist of the Year by the Arizona Geriatrics Society and was a 2019-2020 Health and Aging Policy Fellow, completing her fellowship with the National Alliance for Caregiving. |
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Renée Ouellet, MSW
Renée Ouellet has fifteen years of experience in youth-focused suicide prevention as a coordinator with La Frontera, EMPACT-SPC, working across school and community settings. She has coordinated statewide suicide and substance use prevention initiatives and has presented at national and international conferences, including the American Association for Suicide Prevention Conference in 2018 in Washington, DC; the National Suicidology Training Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; the Hope Conference in Arizona; and international conferences hosted by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the European Symposium on Suicide. Renée previously worked as a school social worker and has implemented mindfulness- based stress reduction programs with elementary and middle school students, supporting social-emotional well-being, resilience, and prevention-focused practices. She has also worked with incarcerated adults, facilitating groups and psychoeducational programs. Education: MSW, Arizona State University; BSW, Arizona State University |
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Mark Person
With over 20 years of experience spanning behavioral health, public health, and managed care systems, Mark Person, is a seasoned leader in developing and overseeing programs that address mental health and substance use disorders. As Public Health Program Manager for Community Mental Health and Addiction at the Pima County Health Department, he has collaborated closely with healthcare providers, behavioral health systems, and public agencies to improve care coordination, reduce stigma, and enhance outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. In his current role with the Office of Injury and Violence Prevention, Mark is focused on the surveillance of injuries and deaths related to overdose, suicide, firearms, motor vehicle crashes, and other unnatural causes. He oversees multidisciplinary fatality reviews and workgroups that help to identify patterns, risk factors, and opportunities for intervention. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, data-informed decision-making, and population health strategies aimed at reducing injury and violence in Pima County. |
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Joshua Stegemeyer, MA - MFT/CC
Joshua Stegemeyer serves as the State’s suicide prevention coordinator and has worked for Arizona Department of Health Services since Janauary, 2022. Additionally, Joshua serves as a Health Safety Officer for the Arizona Health Emergency Operations Command, meeting the needs of the personnel responding to Arizona’s health emergencies. Prior to serving the state of Arizona, Joshua was in practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Orange County, California. Joshua holds an M.A. - Psychology, with emphases in Marriage and Family Therapy, as well as Clinical Counseling, from the Chapman University System, Irvine, California. Joshua is married to his lovely wife Samantha and is a medically retired, Army Combat Veteran. |
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Ashia Taylor
Ashia Taylor was born and raised in Akron and has called Arizona home for the past 26 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Purdue University, a Master of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling from University of Saint Francis, and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Organizational Leadership from University of Phoenix. Ashia also completed doctoral coursework in Advanced Studies in Human Behavior with a concentration in program design at Capella University, where she completed all requirements except the dissertation phase. With more than 25 years of experience in the mental health field, Ashia has worked across a variety of settings, including crisis response services, school-based counseling, and community support programs. She currently serves as the founder and operator of a K–12 microschool, where she is passionate about creating supportive, innovative learning environments that empower youth and families. Ashia has been a member of the Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition (AZSPC) since 2024 and also serves on the coalition’s BIPOC Subcommittee. In addition, she is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in foster care, advocating for the safety, |
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Matt Thesing
Matt Thesing is the Executive Director of 4x5, a construction industry focused suicide prevention program, committed to service and mission-driven work. His experience leading youth and adults on outdoor adventures, combined with a background in construction, shapes his patient and grounded leadership style. Matt is passionate about people—especially those who know struggle—meeting them where they are and building resilience together. |
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Kelly R. Vallo, MSW
Kelly Vallo is a member of the Navajo Nation, of the Bitterwater Clan, born for the Sun People Clan. Her maternal clan is the Start of the Red Streak People, and her paternal clan is Acoma Pueblo. She is half Navajo and half Acoma Pueblo. Kelly earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from Arizona State University and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Behavioral Health at ASU. With over 15 years of experience in behavioral health, she is a passionate Indigenous social worker who integrates her cultural background to build strong, respectful relationships with Tribal Nations across Arizona. Kelly is a Project Manager at the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, where she provides Youth Mental Health First Aid training to Indigenous communities. Her work includes partnerships with the Arizona Department of Education through Arizona Bright Futures, supported by the Garrett Lee Smith Grant for Suicide Prevention in Tribal Communities, she provides ASIST and safeTALK training to Tribal communities across Arizona. She is also co-developed a Human Trafficking in Indigenous Communities Train-the-Trainer curriculum in collaboration with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. |