Balancing Act: Work-Life Benefits That Meet Employees Where They Are

DeShawna Manley, MBA, is an employee benefits professional with more than 12 years of industry experience. After spending several years with an insurance carrier, DeShawna moved into consulting as an absence and disability benefit subject matter expert. In DeShawna’s current role she oversees absence and ancillary benefit programs, to include dependent care resources and insured voluntary benefits, for PwC’s more than 50k covered lives. DeShawna endeavors to approach all benefits in a holistic manner and to explore the connection between the efficacy of benefits and their impact on productivity. She completed her MBA at Walden University with a concentration in HR Management.

Veronica Segovia Bedon is a dynamic leader at AARP, serving as the Program Management Director for Family Caregiving. She has spent the last decade making a significant impact in roles across Communications and Marketing, Multicultural Leadership, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). She has been an integral part of award-winning teams and her talents have been recognized by both her peers and community. 

Prior to her tenure at AARP, Veronica made significant contributions to healthcare campaigns at Edelman, including the successful launch of CuidadodeSalud.gov. She also managed Employer Brand and Employee Engagement at Vocus, leading the company to exponential growth within talent acquisition and being name in Top Workplaces by the Washington Post. 

Her academic accomplishments include a B.A. in Communications: Public Relations from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an Executive Certificate in the Strategic Management of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs from Georgetown University. She has been honored for her volunteer service by UMD’s Alumni Association, where she served on the Board of Governor’s for four years, and the College of Arts and Humanities’ Department of Communication.

Dr. Elizabeth Myers is responsible for advancing thought leadership and research at Bright Horizons, where she utilizes strategic insights and original research to inform workforce solutions. In her role, she partners with current and prospective clients on a wide range of initiatives—including consulting engagements, investment impact studies, needs assessments, surveys, focus groups, and custom research projects.

In addition to client-facing work, Elizabeth leads Bright Horizons’ thought leadership research, exploring critical topics such as generational workforce needs, employee motivation and engagement, burnout, and workforce sustainability. 

Elizabeth brings over a decade of experience across the for-profit, non-profit, and government sectors, with a strong foundation in education and human development and translating complex research into actionable insights. Her academic research has been published in more than a dozen peer-reviewed journals, and her work at Bright Horizons has supported leading organizations including Adobe, PepsiCo, Houston Methodist, JM Huber, UCSF, and WVU Medicine.

She holds a PhD in Human Development and Child Study from Tufts University, an M.Ed. from Cambridge College, and a B.S. in Psychology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.