5 work-life winners

Mika J. Cross, Work/Life and Wellness Program Director, U.S. Department of Agriculture (2013 winner)

Cross is a seasoned human capital policy strategist specializing in work-life, wellness and employee engagement. She has been instrumental in shaping work-life initiatives in support of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsacks commitment to cultural transformation. In January 2012, Cross conceived and launched a comprehensive, highly successful USDA-wide marketing campaign, "Turbo-Charge Telework. Cross currently serves as a member of the Office of Personnel Management's Telework Advisory Board and is a member of the national Telework Visionary Committee of the Telework Exchange.

Danielle Hartmann, Director of Corporate Partnerships, Boston College Center for Work & Family (2013 winner)

Hartmann is responsible for managing corporate relations and programming for CWFs National Workforce and Global Workforce Roundtables. Leveraging her international experiences and cross-cultural skills, Hartmann works with leading multinational organizations from a variety of industries, seeking to develop global work-life and workforce programs and implement them in a locally sensitive manner. She has contributed to the development of CWFs Global Work/Life Toolkit, and collaborated with member companies on integrating work-life within the organizational culture, launching workplace flexibility initiatives, and developing manager training programs.

Debra Schafer, Founder and CEO, Education Navigation (2012 winner)

Debra Schafer founded Education Navigation in 2010 to help organizations support working parents whose children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities and other hidden differences, from early intervention through college transition. Schafer has been recognized for her contributions to the autism community and served on the Pennsylvania Autism Taskforce.

Debbie Edwards Veihdeffer, Director, Work-Life Integration, Northrop Grumman Corp. (2012 winner)

As director of work-life integration for Northrop Grummans Electronic Systems sector, Debbie Edwards Veihdeffer is responsible for the development, implementation and assessment of a broad portfolio of work-life programs that directly support the companys efforts to increase the engagement of employees and enhance Northrop Grummans reputation as a preferred employer. Veihdeffer also serves as a corporate representative for the Boston College Center for Work & Family and, in 2010, was honored with the prestigious Work-Life Balance Award from the Society of Women Engineers.

Kristen Piersol-Stockton, Associate Director, Workplace Solutions, KPMG LLP (2012 winner)

As associate director of Workplace Solutions for KPMG LLP, Kristen Piersol-Stockton is responsible for managing work-life, diversity and inclusion, organizational effectiveness and corporate social responsibility for 4,000 employees and partners in the Atlantic region. Piersol-Stockton also is a member of the Greater Washington Work-Life Network and is a member of the Networks steering committee.