Meet the 2026 Excellence in Benefits winners

Published June 22, 2026 9:50 AM

|

Updated July 7, 2026 2:09 PM

1 Min Read

The 2026 Excellence in Benefits Awards winners are honored for their exceptional and innovative approach to workplace benefits, and for continuing to advance programs that support their employees' physical, mental and financial well-being.

This year's class of honorees oversee employee programs ranging from mental health support for entry-level associates to free higher-education access, and all demonstrate a commitment to empowering their workforces as a time that employee retention and engagement is key to long-term business success.

We recognize the 2026 winners here, in profiles of their successful programs and policies, and will be honoring them this September at EBN's Benefits at Work conference, held Sept. 14-16 in Las Vegas.

We will continue to celebrate their achievements at our community-focused event, where they will undoubtedly contribute to the invaluable peer conversations and exchange of best practices that makes Benefits at Work so unique.

Read on to learn more about our distinguished winners, and sign up to attend Benefits at Work to be part of the continuing conversation.

Congratulations to this year's winners (listed here in alphabetical order by organization) of the Excellence in Benefits Awards!

Matthew Owenby, chief administrative officer, Aflac

"The objective is to ensure that human capital is fully integrated into how we plan and run the business—driving performance, improving organizational agility, and positioning the company to compete through its people over the long term."

Read more about Matthew

Excellence at work: Redesigned retirement and compensation programs generated more than $500M in savings.

Jennifer Weinstein, VP benefits, Albertsons Companies

"Benefits allows me the opportunity every day to help people at a time in their life when they need help the most."

Sheena Davis, director, total rewards & HR technology, Apache Industrial

"I want to create an employee experience where people feel supported, informed, and confident in making the best decisions for themselves and their families while continuing to develop and support the growth of my team."

Read more about Sheena

Excellence at work: Cost-saving strategies, including the implementation of a reference-based pricing model and direct primary care, produced millions of dollars in savings that was reinvested into employee benefits like a 401(k) match.

Melissa Dal Vecchio, senior manager, U.S. health and welfare benefits, BMO

"I combine deep empathy for the employee experience with the ability to translate complex benefits strategies into clear, human-centered solutions that drive both business outcomes and employee well-being."

Read more about Melissa

Excellence at work: More than 75% of participants of the Be Ready Learning series, a live education program designed to prepare employees for annual enrollment, said the sessions helped them make more informed benefit decisions, 93% rated the experience as excellent or good, and 95% requested the program's return.

Heather Newton, director of talent & training, Child & Family Center

"I believe benefits should be an experience that helps employees feel supported, valued, and empowered throughout their employment journey."

Read more about Heather

Excellence at work: Voluntary turnover decreased from 22% to 11% over a 12-month period.

Beth Conradson Cleary, executive director, City of Milwaukee Deferred Compensation Plan & Molly King, employee benefits director, City of Milwaukee

Beth Conradson Cleary

"I believe benefits should be accessible, actionable and equitable, meeting employees where they are and empowering them to take meaningful steps toward their financial futures."

Kim Bird, employee benefits unit manager, Colorado Department of Corrections

"My strength is translating complex rules, operational pressures, and human realities into practical systems employees can understand, supervisors can apply, and my team can execute."

Beth Skalitzky, senior director of people rewards, Compassus

"I am a thoughtful and supportive leader who is passionate about making a meaningful difference by creating engaging benefit programs."

Read more about Beth

Excellence at work: Successfully absorbed more than 60% workforce growth while introducing multiple, coordinated solutions over 12 months.

Ashley Sowa, SVP & head of HR, Hanmi Bank

"I believe the best HR leaders understand that you don't have to choose between taking care of employees and doing what's right for the organization. Some of the most successful initiatives I've been involved with have achieved both goals."

Read more about Ashley

Excellence at work: Participation rates include 91% overall benefits enrollment and 88% voluntary participation in the 401(k) plan.

Matthew Hall, benefits strategy manager, Koch

"As a leader, I seek aligned incentives and mutually beneficial relationships that result in wins for our employees, Koch, and the partners we hire."

Read more about Matthew

Excellence at work: A projected $13.2 million in cumulative program net savings since launching MSK-focused health program in 2021.

Jessica DeVenuta, senior benefits manager, Lakeshore Learning Materials

"I've always believed that the best benefits programs don't just exist, they're understood, accessible, and genuinely improve people's lives."

Read more about Jessica

Excellence at work: Modernizing the benefits technology and delivery model resulted in stronger data integrity, clearer system governance, and improved coordination across vendors.

Amber Burkett, benefits manager, LandCare

"I try to focus on making benefits more accessible, understandable and meaningful, especially for our team members who may not have easy access to traditional resources."

Read more about Amber

Excellence at work: 2026 open enrollment participation increased by over 40%, to the highest recorded engagement.

Lindsey Garito, AVP, total rewards, Montefiore Einstein

"I've always led with the belief that the benefits an organization provides have both the impact and responsibility to meaningfully change the lives of employees and their families. And how we educate, engage and empower them is some of our most important work."

Read more about Lindsey

Excellence at work: Open enrollment participation more than doubled compared to the prior year, with over 60% of employees completing passive enrollment and engaging in the new system.

Julie Blume, director of total rewards, Ropes & Gray

"I thrive at the intersection of data and people — diving deep into analytics to inform strategy while never losing sight of the human element behind every decision."

Read more about Julie Blume

Excellence at work: 100% participation in Thrive, an initiative designed to comprehensively support the mental health and well-being of first-year associates.

Jacalyn Epperson, HR manager – benefits, St. Tammany Health System

"A cancer survivor and former educator, I bring a deeply personal sense of purpose to my work. I view supporting healthcare colleagues as an act of service to my community."

Read more about Jacalyn

Excellence at work: Doubled retirement plan contributions (from $5 million to $10 million), produced a 46% increase in tax‐advantaged savings, and grew retirement accounts from 724 to 1,740.

Jamie Gonzalez, people & culture, Taco Bell

"I do my best to build strong, trusting relationships across teams to elevate and support both the brand and the team members."

Read more about Jamie

Excellence at work: Team member retention improved 17% year-over-year and general manager vacancy rates fell 27% at company-owned restaurants in 2025.

Doretha Polite, human resources director, Texas Civil Rights Project

"[Benefits] are one of the most visible ways an organization demonstrates how much it values its people. Throughout my career, I have worked to transform benefits from a transactional function into a strategic driver of employee well-being, engagement, retention and culture."

Read more about Doretha

Excellence at work: Over 85% of employees participated in at least one wellness, engagement or professional development initiative throughout the year.

Lindsey Bandison, benefits customer support supervisor, University of Pittsburgh

"I consistently put the needs of the group before my own and thrive in a collaborative environment where we lift each other up to do our best work."

Read more about Lindsey

Excellence at work: The first two sessions of the "Retirement Readiness" summer series drew a combined 1,081 registrations and 774 attendees.

	About Danielle
mailto	danielle.lee@arizent.com
linkedin	daniellelee1