Deana Zelenka

Deana Zelenka, Founder, CEO, Managing Dir.

Ms. Zelenka is founding partner and CEO of Oppelle. In this role, she brings more than 14 years of professional experience from the corporate world, working in the chemical manufacturing and storage industry. Having worked at the senior executive level, she is known for her exceptional leadership skills.

With core competencies in strategic planning and profit and loss, Deana has championed several companies to further success.

She began her career in Florida as principal of the consulting firm Tamar Industries, successfully building the consultantcy serving primarily the phosphate industry. After three years on her own, she was invited to join a large chemical manufacturing company operating a Fluorides Business Unit in Mulberry, Fl. She spent the next five years returning the Business Unit to environmental stewardship, as well as, to renewed profitability. In early 2001, Deana relocated to New Jersey to head up an international polyurethane manufacturing operation. After successfully transitioning the company through an mbo, she left to pursue other interest. She landed as a top senior executive heading a business unit with a $400 million dollar privately held company in New Jersey, focusing in the contract manufacturing and chemical storage industries. 

Over the last 15 years, Ms. Zelenka has successful launched several companies.  She enjoys the challenges and opportunites of building a company from the ground up and developing it into a successful venture.

With her immense background in Chemical Engineering, Deana brings tremendous strength and vision to all companies she works with. But after a long and intense relationship with the Chemical Industry, Deana decided to pursue her passion in Executive Coaching. Deana’s vision was to empower and enable other women executives who had also attained great professional success. She believes strongly in the collective power of feminine energy to bring about positive change in both the professional arena as well as in individual lives. This is the vision of Oppelle.

Ms. Zelenka is a professionally Certified Executive Coach and graduate of IPEC Coaching. She has completed course work in executive leadership, executive coaching, and facilitation.  She has worked with some of the top women in the world, focusing on aligning inner beliefs with external goals through decisive action.

Deana is a member of several organizations including the American Chemistry Council, The National Safety Council, NAFE and The American Institute of Chemical Engineers.  Deana is currently an active member on her local School Board and Parish Council.  She coaches children's soccer and is very involved in the sports and lives of her three daughters.  An avid Equestrian, she trains with and is devoted to her eldest and youngest daughters' passion for horses.  In her free time, she enjoys working with rescue organizations for abused and abandoned animals.

Deana resides in Franklinville, NJ with her husband and three daughters.

Heather Clarke-Peckerman

Heather Clarke-Peckerman, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer

Prior to joining Oppelle, Heather was the Founder and President of HCP Consulting Group, a Leadership Development Organization. She is an organization development specialist focusing on Leadership Development, Training and Executive Coaching using Emotional Intelligence. She holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. Heather has over fourteen years of management experience and has trained all levels of employees. Her delivery style is very engaging, informative and interactive.

Heather specifically coaches Female Executives seeking Life Balance. She is known for her work in the areas of: Value Based Decision-Making, Creating Meaning through Balance, and Office Communication.

She has worked out of the Continuing Education Departments of Bergen Community College & County College of Morris. She has received a Certificate in Management from the American Management Association and is certified to deliver Genos Emotional Intelligence 360 Degree Assessment, Achieve Global Leadership Series, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Take Charge of your Career, Lominger 360 Degree Feedback and Path of Dialogue. She is a graduate of the Institute for Professional Empowerment Coaching (iPEC) and is an Executive Coach. She was a facilitator for the NJ Governors Initiative: Preventing Childhood Obesity, Creator and facilitator for the yearly Morris County Parks Commission Teambuilding Initiative, and an Executive Coach for Richmond Events CIO/HR Summits.

Heather serves in various leadership roles for her church, such as: Lay Speaker, Delegate for the World Methodist Council, Delegate to the NJ Annual Conference, Chair of the Stewardship Committee, & Sunday School Superintendent. She is a Cub Scout Den Leader and has previously volunteered at a local hospital in the ICU. She has been a Group Leader & Hot Line Counselor for Jersey Battered Women’s Service & holds memberships in American Society for Training & Development (ASTD), International Coaching Federation (ICF), New Jersey Professional Coaching Association (NJPCA) and Who’s Who Among Business Professionals.

Heather resides in Parsippany, NJ with her husband and two boys.

Katherine Poehnert

Katherine Poehnert, Chief Learning Officer

Before joining Oppelle, Katherine was the Founder and President of InSight Services, a Coaching and Training Organization. She is a professionally certified executive coach, focusing her individual client market on helping leaders, particularly women, access success by supporting them in clarifying professional goals, aligning values with decisions and fostering real conversations. Katherine’s unique approach to coaching emphasizes ownership and control of personal and professional growth through self-understanding, perceptual awareness, intuitive thinking, and a strong belief in the power of the human spirit.

Katherine focuses on leadership development programs using the tools of Emotional Intelligence Assessment (including 360 Degree feedback), group training, and follow-up coaching. She is a certified consultant with Genos Emotional Intelligence; a global, cutting-edge leader in the assessment and development of Emotional Intelligence in the workplace.

Ms. Poehnert holds a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology, and received a double certification in coaching in 2002 from iPEC Coaching, and The Institute for Holistic Studies. Katherine has also received the Professional Certified Coach designation (PCC) from the International Coach Federation. She is certified in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), which is the study of and skills for attaining human excellence, and incorporates this into her coaching and training. She also has a strong background and training in Family and Parenting issues and brings this to her holistic approach to coaching.

Ms. Poehnert spent five years as a corporate seminar presenter for Ceridian Performance Partners; serving many Fortune 500 Companies. She has designed workshops, courses, trainings, teleclasses and keynotes, and has served as a lead coach trainer, teleclass instructor, and Mentor Coach for iPEC Coaching; an international Coach Training Institute accredited by the International Coach Federation. Ms. Poehnert leveraged her expertise and knowledge in the public speaking arena, developing a comprehensive program to teach the skills of researching, designing and presenting in a powerful and influential manner., and enjoys coaching leaders who want to sharpen their skill set in this area.  Katherine is also a Deloitte & Touche, LLP Executive Coach, and for the past three years, has served as a coach for Richmond Events Marketing/HR Forums.

Katherine is a member of The International Coach Federation (ICF), The New Jersey Professional Coaches Association, Coachville, , The EQ Alliance, and The International Consortium for Coaching in Organizations (ICCO). She is a dynamic keynote speaker/presenter, an insightful coach, and dedicated to helping leaders and businesses towards a creative vision of themselves, their workplaces, and the world.

Katherine resides at the NJ Shore with her husband and son.