Leaders
Mark Lambert founded the Death Positive Alliance. His background blends experience in the arts and entertainment industry, including Broadway, film and television, with a track record as an innovator in the fields of education, science, public health and wellbeing. Mark is Founding Director of Innovation at the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine at the Karolinska Institute, home of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. He also founded the Global Sepsis Alliance, which grew to 600,000 caregivers in 63 countries during its first 18 months, and now includes over a million and 100 respectively. Earlier, at the direction of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking, Mark worked with state governors, superintendents of education, principals, teachers and PTA organizations to create and produce award-winning written, audio and video life skills programming for children, parents and teachers that was implemented in various statewide systems of education as different as West Virginia and Michigan. With Steven Spielberg’s Starbright Foundation and Children’s Hospice International, Mark co-developed an early interactive project in support of terminally ill children and their families. In addition, he founded an NPO dedicated to serving psychologically wounded combatants through the “science and service of the healing power of song.” As an entrepreneur, his work has ranged from evaluating and supporting start-ups with Big Picture Investors, to founding numerous ventures on his own. Finally, Mark has an extensive background as a publicist, producer, documentarian, director, singer and actor.
Frances Pope, LPCC, LPC/S, LCMHC, LAC, NBCC is a broadly experienced counseling professional who is a leader in the growing field of end-of-life counseling. A recent recipient of the South Carolina Counseling Association’s Counselor of the Year Award, she is Program Lead for the University of Vermont’s End-of-Life Doula training and certification program, and Owner/Operator of Sailing Away End of Life Care Consulting and Counseling Services in Columbia, South Carolina. In addition to end-of-life counseling, her experience is wide-ranging, with emphasis areas including substance use disorders and trauma. Frances is a licensed professional counselor in four states, a Licensed Addictions Counselor (LAC) and a Nationally Certified Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (TF-CBT). She has been certified by the National Board of Certified Counseling since 2003.
As Program Lead for at the University of Vermont’s End-of-Life Doula Program. she monitors, evaluates and ensures quality improvement of the curriculum, recruits and orients new instructors, and plays a leading role in EoLD (End of Life Doula) training and certification. Additionally, she is committed to building awareness about the importance of End-of-Life planning and training through workshops designed for service providers, clergy and the broader community, and is active in numerous organizations relevant to end-of-life counseling including the Institute for the Study of Brith, Breath and Death, the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the International End of Life Doula Association, and the National End of Life Doula Alliance. She holds the Master’s Degree in Community Counseling from Clemson University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Lander University in Greenville, South Carolina.
Besides serving as a practitioner, Pope has an extensive background in leadership. Her management skills range from providing quality assurance of evidence-based therapeutic and behavioral interventions, to leveraging funds by networking with outside organizations. As a licensed professional counselor supervisor (LPCS), she has supervised interns and licensure candidates and she is also a valuable resource to experienced counselors, instructors and facilitators by providing guidance, support and counsel.
