Meet The Team Taking PR Light Years Ahead
Megan Bennett
CEO & President
"I have been labeled the squeaky wheel of PR and am known for not taking NO for an answer."
Megan has been on the LYA team for over 20 years. She started working at LYA just a year after college and fell so in love with public relations that she stayed on and helped build the company into what it is today. Her expertise focuses on managing clients, engaging with top national media daily, and securing meaningful media placements. She has spearheaded and implemented countless successful PR campaigns for numerous brands. She is proud of the positive, lasting relationships she cultivates with the media on an ongoing basis.
Megan's forté lies in her outgoing and engaging personality, which has solidified extremely strong relationships with top consumer print, online, and broadcast media contacts. She understands what the media wants and what tactics work to obtain the most high-profile placements. When it comes to placing a story or segment for a client, she is relentless with the media, and she doesn't stop until she makes it happen.
Megan lives outside of Kansas City. She is married and has two daughters. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Skidmore College.
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Chloe Licht
COO & Executive Vice President
"I love watching small brands gain the attention they deserve with placements in major media. Seeing them grow and being a small part of their success is the best."
Chloe Licht has been a dedicated member of the LYA team since 2012 and in 2019, became an owning partner in the company she has devoted herself to.
Chloe brings her unique background working in telecommunications as part of RCA’s Mobile Marketing department and in entertainment as part of Clear Channel NY’s Integrated Marketing & Sales group to the LYA team. Chloe’s media background enables her to bring a unique set of skills to the LYA team. Her first-hand understanding of how the media functions behind the scenes allows her to cultivate strong relationships and work effectively with a plethora of media outlets.
As a New Yorker since 2009, Chloe is LYA’s direct liaison to all things NYC. Living in the media capital of the country, Chloe develops and maintains close relationships with editors, producers and influencers in the area to ensure she is a trusted resource when promoting her brands. She also plays a primary role in the strategic and creative development for all LYA client campaigns.
Chloe Licht holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. Degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communication from New York University in 2013.
Jan Sheehan
Creative Director
"My love of words goes all the way back to my days as a contestant in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Words are such an elegant and eloquent form of human expression, and in my work, I love the challenge of combining them to tell a brand’s unique story.”
Jan Sheehan specializes in producing highly original and effective communications for clients in many lifestyle categories including beauty and personal care, fashion, food, wine and spirits, and travel.
For several years, Jan directed the consumer products practice of one of Los Angeles’ largest independent public relations firms, The Rogers Group. There, she conceived innovative campaigns and news hooks that garnered major brand building results for entities such as Universal Studios Hollywood, Nexxus Hair Care, and the Wine Market Council. In New York, Jan was Public Relations Manager at Schieffelin & Co., with brand responsibilities for Moet & Chandon and Dom Perignon champagnes, Hennessy Cognac and Ruffino Italian wines.
Jan holds masters degrees from both Yale University and New York University, and is a Phi Beta Kappa magna cum laude graduate of Smith College.
"It’s so gratifying every time we garner a media placement for our clients. Relationship building is what makes me tick!"
Julia Haney brings over 13 years of marketing, project management, and event planning experience to the team. Julia’s strength lies in building strong and effective influencer campaigns for the LYA client roster. She specializes in cultivating relationships on social media with relevant influencers that fit each brand’s personality and consumer base, helping brands optimize awareness via customized partnerships.
Julia holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Communications and Psychology from the University of Kansas.
Julia Haney
PR & Influencer Campaign Specialist
Bette Light
Founder & Chief Strategic Officer
“I stop at nothing to get the job done, but always take the high road to accomplish it.”
Bette Light has spent over three decades in the marketing and communication industry. Prior to founding Light Years Ahead, she worked for over 11 years as a successful marketing executive in the advertising industry. Bette’s extensive background in both the advertising and communications fields has been an invaluable asset in the creation of the highly visible marketing campaigns for her PR clients. Her work prior to LYA included Shiseido Cosmetics America, Ltd., Faberge, Inc., Coty Cosmetics (Pfizer), The Mennen Company, Rene Furterer USA, Tommy Hilfiger, Champion International (carpet division), new product projects for the Kao Soap Co. (Japan) and Colgate Palmolive, and the Spanish National Tourist Office.
Committed to a focused awareness on the ever-changing interests of the press and the equally mercurial needs of consumers, Bette can insightfully tailor the PR and marketing campaigns of her company’s clients. For Bette, success lies in putting together a top-notch and diverse team that will best creatively and strategically serve clients. By welcoming inventiveness from her team and then focusing energies, she spearheads campaigns that are always productive and profitable for her clients.
Bette graduated cum laude from Boston University School of Communications where she was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism.