Our
Team

Wade is a coach at heart who believes leadership is about empowering individuals and teams to grow, adapt, and succeed. Helping businesses isn’t just about numbers; it’s about impact. Wade is passionate about guiding brands that care deeply about their clients and communities.

Like coaching on the court, it’s incredibly rewarding to see growth happen through overcoming obstacles, learning from setbacks, and celebrating wins together.

Megan holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration. Over the last 10+ years with Cleinman, she has honed her expertise across all aspects of practice transitions and now expands her role as a Vice President. 

She has worked with hundreds of optometrists from start to finish, including financial analysis, valuations, employment contracts, and purchase agreements.

Kevin is a co-founder of POD Marketing (2014) and CEO of Cleinman (2025). He is also an Amazon best-selling author with his 2019 publication titled Click: Transform your business through digital marketing. Kevin is a family man, spending all of his free time with his 3 children and an incredible wife. His passion lies in building strong businesses with a strong culture within them.

Annelies is a CPA with over 8 years of experience in healthcare transactions, primarily within the optometry industry. She partners with clients throughout the full transaction lifecycle from financial analysis and valuation to employment and purchase agreements. 

Together with her team, she delivers customized practice transition consulting and analytical services, equipping partners to confidently navigate milestones ranging from hiring a new associate to executing complex, large-scale exits.

An entrepreneur and leader in the eye care community for more than 50 years, Al is best known as a strategist, innovator, and problem-solver. He describes his passion in life as business. “I love business! Businesses where,” he describes, “people get engaged with each other and fulfill the hopes and dreams of stakeholders. I love ideas and putting ideas to work. I am especially passionate about helping others see and realize their own vision.”

Olivia leads our HR Services Team, the group working behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly, accurately, and in accordance with the rules. She supports your HRBP by making sure the policies, processes, and documentation created for your practice are not only compliant but built to last. 

Her background is in leadership roles focused on team growth and operational efficiency, and she has worked extensively in HR and recruitment process development, resulting in measurable improvements in retention and team performance. Outside of work, Olivia enjoys sports, traveling, and spending time with her loved ones, including her cat, Jemma.

For over 20 years, Amanda has been committed to helping our clients conquer business development challenges. As the Senior Director of Client Solutions, she leads her team in delivering strategic and operational consulting services in the areas of people, finance, and systems. Amanda’s experience helps you successfully navigate everything from large, complex business development plans to incremental operational improvements.

Voted one of optical’s most influential women by Vision Monday in 2017, Nancy Dewald is an award-winning consultant, speaker, and business strategist. With a background in corporate training, retailing and leadership, her career spans several industries, including retail fashion, corporate optical and private practice optometry. 

Nancy started her own business, Lead Up Training and Consulting, in 2021, allowing her to leverage all the skills and knowledge acquired over the years. With her consulting business, Nancy was able to do what she loves, help small businesses and their teams be successful, which has always been her main motivation.

Meagan leads the strategic development and implementation of our information management systems. With a strong background in data analytics, she makes sure our clients have access to cutting-edge technology solutions that drive efficiency and growth. Her experience in optimizing information flow and safeguarding data integrity is instrumental in providing our clients with the insights and tools they need to excel. Meagan is dedicated to enhancing our capabilities and supporting our clients’ ongoing success.

Alex brings a wealth of experience and a passion for excellence to every client interaction. With a strong background in event planning and client relations, Alex collaborates closely with our consultants to provide an outstanding experience for each partner. She excels in managing relationships and is known for her meticulous attention to detail and commitment to client satisfaction. Alex plays a crucial role in delivering exceptional service and fostering long-term partnerships.

Cole Currie is our Business Development Manager here with Cleinman and our sister company, Marketing4ECPs. An avid advocate for independent eye care practice owners, he is responsible for welcoming new members to our network and identifying their optimal growth opportunities. When he isn’t working, Cole can usually be found with a good book, cooking a delicious meal, or hiking up a mountain.

Natasha is the Director of Marketing & Communications for POD Marketing, leading marketing strategy and communications across its portfolio of brands, including Citizen, Marketing4ECPs, SmileShop Dental Marketing, and Cleinman. With a passion for helping businesses find the marketing they deserve, Natasha combines creativity, strategy, and data-driven thinking to build meaningful connections, strengthen brands, and deliver results.

In her role, Natasha leads initiatives that help businesses navigate an ever-changing marketing landscape while keeping clients informed about the latest trends, insights, and opportunities. Her approach is rooted in understanding each organization’s unique goals and finding thoughtful, effective ways to help them grow.

Before joining POD Marketing, Natasha worked in marketing for a major fabric organization, where she honed her ability to pair inventive ideas with analytical precision. Her roots in the senior care industry also run deep—her parents owned a senior care company, and she spent her youth helping out, never imagining that experience would eventually come full circle in her career.

Outside of work, Natasha is a talented seamstress. When she’s not strategizing campaigns or playing sports, you’ll find her at her sewing machine, bringing her next creation to life. What she loves most about her work is being part of a purpose-driven team that helps businesses thrive by giving them the marketing, strategy, and support they deserve.

Kim is one of our Canadian team members, and likes to say that she’s our neighbour (not neighbor!) up North. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in drama from the University of Calgary, but doesn’t feel as though her learning ended when she completed post-secondary studies. She employs the idea of being a lifelong learner, a quality we at Cleinman hold highly, which leads to her innovating, understanding, and creating every day. 

Kim is someone you’ll often hear before you see, and when she’s not filling the office with laughter, she can be found cuddling her dog and cats, or getting lost in the woods.

Judith brings writing and marketing talent to the table in her role as facilitator. Since the mid-1980s, Judith has worked as a freelance writer and marketing consultant through her company, Communication Works Now. Her focus since 2010 has been on social media, which offers an effective and affordable tool that “levels the playing field” for small businesses, healthcare professionals and non-profit groups. Judith shares her social media skills with her community, serving as Chair-elect and Communications Chair for the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce, Communications Committee member for Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce and Social Media Chair for the Southern Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce.

Michelle Kelley is a Tennessee-based, licensed dispensing optician dedicated to advancing the standard of eye care through clinical expertise and operational leadership. She currently serves as the Director of Ophthalmic Materials and Services at the Southern College of Optometry (SCO), one of the nation’s premier institutions for optometric education. In this capacity, Michelle plays an integral role in bridging high-level optometric training with practical dispensing operations, ensuring students receive comprehensive exposure to modern ophthalmic materials and service standards.

Committed to continuous professional development, Michelle earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Business Administration and Management in November 2025. Her business acumen complements her clinical background, allowing her to enhance strategic planning, operational efficiency, and institutional growth within academic health centers. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Michelle values quality time with her family, sharing a life and many adventures with her husband of five years.

Before joining Cleinman, Brett served in the Air Force, developed marketing strategies in publishing, co-founded a publisher rep firm, and was a news director. Introduced to Al Cleinman by the Mayor of Oneonta, Brett sought a role with a tangible impact. He appreciates the passion of Team Cleinman and values optometrists’ dedication. Outside work, Brett enjoys spending time with his family.

Mary is a seasoned industry consultant specializing in leadership development with over 40 years of experience in the eye care field. For the past 30 years, she has focused on leadership development and staff training, working with hundreds of practices across the US and Canada. Mary has trained thousands of practice leaders and paraoptometrics, driven by her passion for helping people realize their full potential and exceed their expectations. Mary has the distinction of being recognized as one of Vision Monday’s 50 Most Influential Women in Optical.

Dr. Carlson was the first woman to serve as President of the American Optometric Association, a major milestone in the eye care health industry. Most recently, she was a 2019 recipient of Women of Optometry’s Theia Award for Leadership. In addition to her optometric leadership, Dr. Carlson is a 2020 graduate from the University of Jamestown with a Master of Arts in Leadership, and she is a John Maxwell certified speaker and trainer. She currently speaks on leadership topics and writes a monthly column for Optometric Management entitled: Inspired. Lead. Succeed. Despite her busy schedule speaking and advocating for the profession, she continues to see patients in her practice, Heartland Eye Care, PC.

For over 3 decades, Michael has been in the trenches of leadership, building businesses, leading teams, navigating uncertainty, and driving growth. From launching startups to scaling multi-million-dollar companies, Michael’s long career includes playing key roles for over 20 years in the optometric industry, most notably with Vision-Ease Lens and Fantom Optics. For the last 10+ years, Michael has served as the Chair of executive peer groups with Vistage International, and he is an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Gloria Di Francesco is the founder and CEO of GDF Talent Inc. Prior to starting her business in 2008, Gloria worked in the corporate world for over 20 years, specializing in both Operations and Human Performance where she gained valuable expertise in the areas of Management, Training & Development and Learning Delivery.

In addition to having an extensive understanding of Operations, Gloria has a proven ability to lead and develop efficient teams. Her strengths include exceptional skills as a workshop facilitator and training specialist and an undisputed aptitude to motivate, coach, develop and influence others.

As a strong communicator and an excellent public speaker in both English and French, Gloria has delivered many workshops and presentations to audiences of all sizes on a variety of topics such as Leadership Development, Sales Training, Team Building, Presentation & Networking Skills and Emotional Intelligence.

One of her favorite topics remains Fierce Conversations, an inspiring and impactful Leadership Development program developed in 2004 by Fierce Inc.’s founder Susan Scott. As a certified Fierce Conversations Master Facilitator since 2006, Gloria has facilitated numerous workshops in many companies such as Coca-Cola, Bell, American Express, Randstad Canada, and Spin Master to name only a few (see complete list below). The comments received are always extremely positive and the participants come out of these workshops well prepared and motivated to address their biggest challenges.