Dr. Russell Hilliard, PhD, LCSW, LCAT, MT-BC, CHRC  is the Senior VP of Key Initiatives at AccentCare and the Founder of the Center for Music Therapy in End of Life Care and EnlightenCE. His research, advocacy, and consultation have resulted in the development of first-time music therapy programs in hospices throughout the US, China, Thailand, and Korea. He is the author of the text, Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapy: A Guide to Program Development and Clinical Care, and his research has been published in a wide variety of scholarly journals. He has also authored several book chapters in leading texts on end of life care. Dr. Hilliard has provided keynote addresses for healthcare conferences and is a frequent presenter at professional conferences worldwide. He is a dedicated yogi and enjoys his homes in Lauderdale by the Sea, FL and Palm Springs, CA between his business travels.

Karen Shipley Leggett, MA, MT-BC is the Executive Director for EnlightenCE. Karen joined the Center for Music Therapy in End of Life Care as an instructor in 2010 and continues her role as Continuing Education Director of EnlightenCE before being promoted in 2022. She earned her undergraduate degree in Music Therapy from Radford University in 2006 and her masters degree in Thanatology from Hood College in 2009. Karen practiced hospice music therapy at Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care of Maryland from 2006 to 2012. During that time, held the positions of Hospice Music Therapist, Director of Supportive Care and Bereavement Specialist. Currently, Karen is a Family Services Coordinator for the Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland, in Baltimore, MD support families in crisis due to traumatic and sudden loss and advocating for and supporting them through the organ, eye and tissue donation process.

Dena Register, PhD, MT-BC is a seasoned music therapy clinician, educator and program development specialist. She serves as EnlightenCE's Director of Program Development & Talent Recruitment. She began her experience as a music therapy professor in 2003 at the University of Kansas after working as a clinician in Tampa and Tallahassee, Florida for 8 years.She provided services to individuals & groups with very diverse backgrounds and needs, provided internship supervision and coordinated the music therapy program at Big Bend Hospice in Tallahassee, FL. She has published research in Music Therapy Perspectives, the Arts in Psychotherapy and the Journal of Music Therapy. In 2009, Dr. Register was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach and conduct research at Mahidol University, Thailand. She developed the “Therapeutic Uses of Music” training to begin building awareness and appreciation of music therapy as a discipline among medical and education personnel. She helped develop and launch the first music therapy Masters degree program in Southeast Asia at Mahidol University College of Music in 2013. She continues her work there as a consultant, teacher and researcher. As the Regulatory Affairs Advisor for CBMT, she works with music therapists across the country on obtaining this professional recognition. 

Jennifer Sokira, MMT, LCAT, MT-BC is the Director of Educational Programming for EnlightenCE. She has extensive experience working with A variety of clients particularly those who have experienced trauma, grief and loss and varied developmental needs. As Founding Director of Connecticut Music Therapy Services, LLC (est. 2005), she has created opportunities for thousands of individuals to receive quality music therapy services from skillful and caring music therapists. Seven years of experience in providing trauma-informed music psychotherapy with clients who were impacted by the 12/14/12 tragedy at Sandy Hook School has sparked a passion for providing increased knowledge and training for music therapists in supporting their clients who have experienced trauma. Her frequent teaching on the many aspects of this topic at national and international venues has led to her partnership with Enlighten-CE and the creation of the trauma-informed music therapy certificate program. Jennifer has authored chapters and articles on TIMT practice and provides professional clinical supervision, she is also pursuing fellowship as an advanced trainee in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery in Music.

Christine "Chris" A. Taegar BSN, MS, RN, CHPN joined EnlightenCE in January 2021 as the Content Expert & Course Developer- Nursing. Chris has been a Registered Nurse for 40 years and has been in hospice since 2000. Her passion for her work is magnified by having several very close family and friends die under hospice care. She has held many roles in hospice, including Case Management, Triage/On-Call, Admissions; including leadership in Clinical, Operations, and Education. Currently, Chris is a Director of Learning and Development – Instruction for a national healthcare organization developing training materials and teaching in the virtual classroom. For Chris, educating hospice caregivers and helping them build confidence and a strong knowledge base to be able to provide an excellent end of life experience is what matters most.