Tina Atherall
Charo Bates, MBA, MS, MA
Program Manager, Hidden Helpers — Elizabeth Dole Foundation
Charo Bates serves as the program manager for Hidden Helpers with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, where she focuses on helping young caregivers of wounded, ill and injured veterans who are providing an unseen, unrecognized and unsupported national service. She has over a decade of experience in advocacy for veterans and their families, inclusion campaigns, future initiatives, policy development and coalition building.
Jeanette Betancourt, EdD
Senior Vice President, U.S. Social Impact — Sesame Workshop
Dr. Jeanette Betancourt is the senior vice president for U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop, the global impact nonprofit organization with a mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger and kinder. She leads the development and implementation of Sesame Street philanthropically supported social impact initiatives meeting the needs of children and families, especially those most marginalized. These research-based initiatives impact children’s social, emotional and physical well-being and early learning, and address the long-term effects of trauma, systemic racism and inequities. Dr. Betancourt is a bilingual speech and language pathologist, specialist in special education and has facilitated the development of charter schools.
Major General Michael R. Berry, MA
Adjutant General — Delaware National Guard
Major General Michael R. Berry assumed his duties as the Adjutant General, Delaware on March 1, 2019. As adjutant general, he is responsible for the mission readiness of all Delaware National Guard units, to include over 1500 soldiers and 1100 airmen for both federal and state missions. Major General Berry’s military career began in September 1988 when he enlisted in the Delaware Army National Guard under the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Simultaneous Membership Program. He received his commission through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at the University of Delaware in May 1989. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from University of Delaware in 1989, and is a 1990 Delaware State Police Graduate, obtaining his Law Enforcement Certification. Major General Berry is also a 2008 graduate of the United State Army War College, receiving his master’s in strategic studies.
Tina Atherall, DSW, LMSW
Chief Executive Officer — PsychArmor Institute
Dr. Tina Atherall is the CEO of PsychArmor, a leading public health EdTech nonprofit, educating and advocating for critical support for those who have served and their families. Dr. Atherall is a George W. Bush Institute Stand-To Veteran Leadership Scholar, and she also serves in an appointed role on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Advisory Council. She is a committee lead for the Council on Social Work Education Military Social Work Specialized Practice review committee. Dr. Atherall is an adjunct professor for Master’s and Doctoral social work programs, and she obtained her Doctor of Social Work from the University of Southern California.
Major General Michael R. Berry
Charo Bates
Jeanette Betancourt
Brady Family
Mandy Brady, BSN, RN, MBA, CPN, CRCR, ACM-RN Utilization and Case Management Nurse Manager — Nemours Children’s Health
Thomas Brady — Rising 6th Grader, Cherry Hill Middle School
Mandy Brady is a nurse who has worked for Nemours Children's for the past four years. She has been a nurse for almost 20 years, with most of her time and experience in home health care. Her husband Lieutenant Colonel Tom Brady is Battalion Commander of the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion and has served in the US Army Reserves for 27 years, most recently participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, activation of the International Maritime Security Construct and Operation Enduring Freedom-HOA. Mandy and Tom have three children, ages 9, 11 and 15. Their son Thomas will be attending 6th grade at Cherry Hill Middle School this fall. Mandy and Thomas have joined today’s event to share their insights and experiences as part of a reservist military family.
Brady Family
Tom Carper, MBA
United States Senator (D-Del.) — United States Senate
United States Senator Tom Carper has served as Delaware’s state treasurer, congressman, governor and now senior senator. He served five years as a naval flight officer, served three tours of duty in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, and continued to serve in the Naval Reserve as a P-3 aircraft mission commander until retiring with the rank of captain in 1991 after 23 years of military service. He serves as chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, where he leads the fight to protect our environment, and serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Finance Committees. Throughout his career in public service, Senator Carper has been an advocate for affordable health care, strengthening families and early childhood education.
Sheila Casey
Executive Director, White House Joining Forces Initiative — Office of the First Lady
Sheila Casey serves as the executive director of the White House Joining Forces Initiative working alongside the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. Previously, Sheila was the chief operating officer of The Hill, a top U.S. political publication. Before joining The Hill in 1997, she was the director of Finance at the Texas Council on Family Violence in Austin, Texas. Sheila has been a military spouse for over 41 years and has been an active member of military family organizations throughout her husband’s military career and since his retirement. Prior to joining the White House, Sheila served as the board chair of Blue Star Families and was a member of the Bob Woodruff Leadership Council.
Matthew Cook, MBA
Chief Executive Officer — Children’s Hospital Association
Matthew Cook is CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association, representing more than 200 children’s hospitals and health systems, which include hospitals that serve military and veteran families as the leading national advocates for children’s health. Cook is an established health care industry executive with decades of leadership within children’s hospitals and maternal health programs. Prior to joining the Children’s Hospital Association, Cook served as president of University of California San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospitals and senior vice president of Children’s Services at University of California San Francisco Health, where he oversaw strategic direction, operations and clinical services for all pediatric services in both Oakland and San Francisco, as well as serving on the University of California San Francisco Health leadership team. Cook previously served as president of Riley Children’s Health and chief strategy officer for Indiana University Health and served as executive vice president of Strategic Planning and Business Development at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Fischer Family
John Fischer, Chief Petty Officer — United States Navy
Ashley Fischer, Pediatric Nurse
Rhett Henry Fischer (8)
John Fischer is a chief petty officer in the United States Navy with deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and aboard the USS Iwo Jima. Ashley Fischer is a pediatric nurse. Together John and Ashley have high schooler Jackson, dyslexia prodigy Annaleigh, and the star of every show Rhett Henry, along with two loving doodles and four cats. When the Fischers aren’t juggling the chaos of everyday military life, getting everyone around Jacksonville, and the “joy” of caring for multiple pets, they enjoy giving back to Nemours through their story and hitting the Orlando theme parks.
Tara Gleason, MEd
Director of Programs — Military Child Education Coalition
Tara Gleason joined the Military Child Education Coalition family in 2009 and is the proud parent of three military-connected children. Over the years, she has served in multiple capacities throughout the organization and now serves as the director of programs. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Education in Human Services with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction.
Lopez-Pabon Family
Silvia Lopez 2020 Delaware Dole Caregiver Fellow, Case Manager — Code of Support Foundation
Annie Pabon Pastry Chef, Hidden Helper
Silvia Carrillo Lopez is a 2020 Dole Caregiver Fellow, a case manager for veterans and families at Code of Support Foundation, and a peer support group facilitator for Spanish speakers at the Military and Veteran Caregiver Network by the American Red Cross. Silvia is also a full-time caregiver to her husband Alex Pabon, a veteran of the Army who has significant visible and invisible injuries, resulting from his service. Silvia and Alex have 5 children, including Annie Pabon. Silvia and Annie have joined today’s event to share their insights and experiences as part of a military caregiving family.
Josette D. Manning, Esq.
Cabinet Secretary — Delaware Department of Health and Social Services
Josette DelleDonne Manning was sworn in as Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Health and Social Services on July 17, 2023. Secretary Manning comes to the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services from the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, where she had been cabinet secretary since January 23, 2017. Prior to that, she was a prosecutor for the Delaware Department of Justice for 17 years, prosecuting crimes from misdemeanors to capital murder. She served as director of the Special Victims Unit, overseeing prosecution of all child abuse, child death and sex crime cases statewide. Secretary Manning resides in Wilmington with her husband and their three children.
R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP
President and CEO of Nemours Children’s Health.
With more than 2 million patient encounters annually, Nemours Children’s network of 74 locations in five states includes two freestanding children’s hospitals serving children and families across America and around the world. Dr. Moss’s passion and clarity in focusing on the overall health of children —above and beyond simply treating illness — guides Nemours vision of going well beyond medicine to create the healthiest generations of children.
Daniel J. Podberesky, MD, FACR
Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer — Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida
Dr. Daniel J. Podberesky is a pediatric radiologist and serves as senior vice president and chief medical officer at Nemours Children's Hospital, Florida in Orlando. He joined Nemours Children’s Health in 2014 as radiologist-in-chief after a position as staff radiologist, associate director of clinical services and division chief of thoracoabdominal imaging at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He is a professor at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Podberesky served as an active-duty officer in the U.S. Air Force from 1998 to 2003, performing his internship and diagnostic radiology residency and from 2004 to 2008 as chief of pediatric radiology at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland AFB, TX. Dr. Podberesky has been awarded the U.S. Air Force’s Meritorious Service Award and Achievement Medal and was named a Veteran of Influence by the Orlando Business Journal in 2019.
Eric S. Sandler, MD
Chairman, Department of Pediatrics and Medical Director of Neuro-Oncology and Vascular Malformations Program — Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville
Dr. Eric Sandler is a professor of pediatrics at the Mayo School of Medicine and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville. He also serves as medical director of Neuro-Oncology and Vascular Malformations Programs at Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville. Dr. Sandler’s major areas of focus include comprehensive care for children with brain tumors and vascular malformations as well as improving quality of life for children with cancer. Dr. Sandler has been an invited speaker at numerous local, national and international meetings, and has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 5 book chapters.
Laurie Sisk
School Liaison Program Manager — Dover Air Force Base
Laurie Sisk, the school liaison program manager for Dover Air Force Base, is a professional with more than 33 years of experience. Her journey includes roles in various Air Force Child and Youth Programs positions and as a key spouse at several installations throughout her husband's 30-year Air Force career. Laurie focuses on increasing awareness of the Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission (MIC3) and the Purple Star School program. Outside of her professional life, Laurie enjoys reading, hiking and working on home projects with her husband.
Denise Stouffer, MEd
Head of School — Providence Creek Academy
Denise Stouffer has been working in education for more than thirty years, and she has had the opportunity to teach children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Denise received her bachelor's degree in education from York College of Pennsylvania and her master's degree from Pennsylvania State University. As a part of her master’s program, Denise completed a three-year research study on the impact of cross-curricular writing on student achievement that launched her career in instructional coaching, data-informed instructional practices and school administration. Denise had the opportunity to work with multiple schools from Boston to D.C. on data-driven accountability systems. Denise believes the most prestigious title she has ever held would be that of proud Mother of a Marine (MoM).
Carol Vassar, MS
Host/Producer — Nemours Children’s Health Well Beyond Medicine Podcast and Meeting Facilitator
Carol Vassar is the host of the multi-award-winning Nemours Well Beyond Medicine podcast. Her career spans more than 35 years, and encompasses work in the fields of radio, television, public relations, health care marketing and public health. She served in the administration of Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell and headed up social media marketing for Hartford HealthCare. Since 2019, she has been a podcast host and producer for Nemours, a freelance writer for Politico and director of communications within the Archdiocese of Hartford. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Science in Interactive Communications and Media from Quinnipiac University.
Kara Odom Walker, MD, MPH, MSHS
Executive Vice President, Chief Population Health Officer — Nemours Children’s Health
Dr. Kara Odom Walker is executive vice president and chief population health officer for Nemours Children’s, where she leads all aspects of population health strategy, research, innovation and implementation. Her scope of responsibility includes the advancement of the overall health and well-being of children, both broadly and among the populations served by Nemours. Dr. Walker is a board-certified, practicing family physician. Dr. Walker is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Walker holds a medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University, a Master of Science in Health Services Research from UCLA and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
Steven E. Yeatman, MEd
Cabinet Secretary — Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families
The Honorable Steven E. Yeatman has served in a variety of youth and family services positions for the State of Delaware for more than 27 years. He became the secretary for the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families in 2023. Steve held various front-line, supervisory and managerial positions in each division within the Department and served as the deputy secretary from 2017 to 2023. During his career, Steve simultaneously served in the United States Army Reserve and Pennsylvania Army National Guard and received several awards, including the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal for his service. Steve holds an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Delaware Technical Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from West Chester University and a master’s in education from Wilmington University.
U.S. Senator Tom Carper
Sheila Casey
Matthew Cook
Fischer Family
Tara Gleason
Silvia Lopez
Annie Pabon
Secretary Josette D. Manning
R. Lawrence Moss
Daniel J. Podberesky
Eric S. Sandler
Steve Schwab
Laurie Sisk
Denise Stouffer
Carol Vassar
Kara Odom Walker
Secretary Steven E. Yeatman
See all presenters
Presenter Bios
Steve Schwab
Chief Executive Officer — Elizabeth Dole Foundation
As chief executive officer of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Steve spearheads the country’s preeminent organization empowering, supporting and honoring military and veteran caregivers and their families. He has grown the Foundation’s programs, staff, development and partnerships over the past decade-plus, managed the launch of the Hidden Heroes campaign, established the Hidden Heroes Cities program, launched a no-cost national pandemic respite program for military caregivers and successfully championed the expansion of the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers to caregivers of every war era. In 2021, Steve oversaw the launch of the Hidden Helpers Coalition, bringing together the White House and more than 60 public and private organizations, with the intent of supporting children in military and veteran caregiving families. He has closely advised senior leaders in every sector, addressed audiences across the country and testified before Congress about the challenges faced by America’s military families, while advocating for legislative and regulatory solutions to support them.
Nemours Children’s has more than 1.9 million patient encounters annually. To identify military-connected families more readily, we have created and will soon deploy a process that identifies children in military or veteran families and captures this important information in our electronic medical record for all users to easily visualize so that we can be proactive in meeting their needs.
Nemours Children's powers KidsHealth.org, a pioneer and leader in pediatric health content that is visited by nearly 200 million people a year. Given that broad reach, we commit to continuing to expand KidsHealth.org content specific to the needs of military-connected children and families.
Nemours Children’s is committed to being an outstanding employer for our military-connected associates, especially given our proximity to major military installations in Delaware and Florida. We recently launched a resource group for military and veteran associates, the spouses and partners of service members, and their supporters. We commit to expanding the group and hearing member suggestions on ways to better support our military-connected employees.
Nemours Children’s commits to leveraging our state and federal government relations teams to support policy and advocacy strategies that benefit military-connected children, for example, in the area of mental health for military-connected families.
Nemours Children’s commits to working with the Children’s Hospital Association, the Veteran’s Administration and others to increase membership of health care organizations in the Hidden Helpers Coalition.
Nemours Children’s Health’s Commitment
Nemours Children’s Health’s Commitment
Nemours Children’s Health’s Commitment
Nemours Children’s Health’s Commitment
Sesame Workshop’s Commitment
Sesame Workshop will continue to support the needs and voices of young children, their families and providers with Sesame Street resources and activities in the military, veteran and caregiving communities.
Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) recently joined the Hidden Helpers Coalition alongside Nemours Children’s Health. CHA is committed to advocating for children’s mental health and addressing the unique health care needs of military-connected children, especially those who are caregivers for their families. Through the partnership, CHA will call on more than 200 children's hospitals to join the coalition in advancing support for our nations “Hidden Helpers.”
Military Child Education Coalition will build upon our multidimensional approach that trains and supports military-connected high school students in caregiving families and enlightens their peers, parents, educators and other adults who need to better understand and mitigate the unique challenges they experience.
Providence Creek Academy’s commitment is to continue sharing resources with all agencies regarding military-connected youth programs and expand our community partnerships with at least one organization per year.
Children’s Hospital Association’s Commitment
Military Child Education Coalition’s Commitment
Providence Creek Academy’s Commitment
Secretary Steven E. Yeatman
Jill Biden
Jill Biden, EdD
First Lady of the United States
Jill Biden, Ed.D., is the First Lady of the United States, a community college educator, a military mother, a grandmother and bestselling author. Dr. Biden also served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009–2017.
Jill Biden, EdD
First Lady of the United States
Jill Biden, Ed.D., is the First Lady of the United States, a community college educator, a military mother, a grandmother and bestselling author. Dr. Biden also served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009–2017.
Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Commitment
Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Commitment
Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Commitment
Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Commitment
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation remains committed to leading the Hidden Helpers Coalition, alongside Wounded Warrior Project, to uplift and support military and veteran caregiving children, teens and families through research, advocacy, partnership and resource development.
The Elizabeth Dole Foundation remains committed to leading the Hidden Helpers Coalition, alongside Wounded Warrior Project, to uplift and support military and veteran caregiving children, teens and families through research, advocacy, partnership and resource development.