CLA Staff
Staff At CLA
Our staff is here to support you and bring you one step closer to your goals. If you have questions, please contact us. We can answer questions about the Association, how to take advantage of CLA benefits and the self-service laundry industry.
Executive Leadership
Brian Wallace
President and Chief Executive Officer
Follow Brian on 𝕏 @brian_wallace
A leader in the laundromat industry for over 30 years, CLA’s President/CEO Brian Wallace is a popular presenter, author and advocate for laundromat owners in the U.S. and around the world. He has led hundreds of educational seminars and penned numerous articles on all things related to successful laundromat management.
Brian is also a passionate supporter and co-founder of the LaundryCares Foundation and serves as its Executive Director. The foundation focuses on supporting families at the laundromat with early childhood development and literacy resources – including mini-library spaces and free books for kids among other initiatives.
A lifelong Chicagoan, Brian resides in Elmhurst, Illinois with his wife Julia and daughter Beatrix. He has a passion for music as evidenced by his constant presence at live concert venues in Chicago and around the country – as well as through his many thousands of records that keep him busy in his downtime. When schedules align, you’ll also find him at Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears games cheering for a win.
Danielle Bauer, CAE
Executive Vice President
Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/daniellebauercae
Originally from a small town in Illinois, Danielle joined the CLA in June 2018. She was promoted to EVP in 2024 and oversees membership, marketing, events, partnerships with the strategic corporate allies and the PlanetLaundry team. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a minor in communications.
Danielle has spent nearly 20 years working for healthcare associations, including the American Medical Association, Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition and the American Student Dental Association. Her experience has included membership, event management, chapter relations, marketing, publications, volunteer management and governance. She is a member of the American Society for Association Executives and earned her Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential in 2011.
Danielle resides in Elmhurst, Ill. with her husband, their two dogs, Roxy and Benny, and a 17 yr. old foster daughter. She spends her free time traveling to see her three children in Colorado, North Carolina and Indiana.
Membership and Events
Katherine Hastings
Administrative and Membership Coordinator
Originally from Wisconsin, Katherine joined the CLA in 1997. She provides administrative support for the membership department and with her customer focus, serves as the liaison between CLA and our members. Katherine is the main contact person for all member inquiries and hers is the first voice you hear when you call the CLA headquarters. She enjoys attending Chicago Blackhawks and White Sox games with family.
SUZANNE HENN, CAE
Membership Engagement Manager
Suzanne has been a resident of Chicagoland since her college graduation and joined CLA at the beginning of 2025. She brings valuable experience from her previous roles with the Tooling and Manufacturing Association (TMA) and the Million Dollar Roundtable, a professional association for insurance and financial advisors. Suzanne’s dedication to member engagement and value creation is evident through her initiatives, such as launching a global mentoring program, managing committees and innovations within member communities.
She is an active member of the American Society for Association Executives and earned her Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential in 2022. Suzanne is passionate about volunteering and community involvement. She is certified by The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners and serves on the board of Sensory Outings Co., a nonprofit organization providing Montessori-based activities for individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Additionally, she is a long-standing board member of the Park Ridge Friends of the Park Foundation. Suzanne enjoys visiting her three children, who are spread across Michigan, Minnesota and Chicago.
Tanisha Moore
Meetings and Events Manager
Originally from Chicago, Tanisha joined CLA in January 2015. Tanisha grew up traveling the U.S. with her family until finally making their way back “home” to Illinois in 1995. Tanisha studied business management at DeVry University. Her work history ranges from restaurant to property management. She has more than 15 years of administrative and customer service experience. In her spare time, she enjoys indulging in some of her favorite things – music, poetry, reading and good meal.
Finance and Administration
Christina Gonzalez, MBA
Director of Finance and Human Resources
A native of Westmont, Ill., Christina joined CLA in April 2012. She graduated magna cum laude from DeVry University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in small business and entrepreneurship. She also graduated with honors from Lewis University with her MBA and a minor in international business. She is among the 6 percent of Latinas in the U.S. with an MBA.
Christina is responsible for leading all financial planning and analysis for CLA and the LaundryCares Foundation; overseeing all human resources functions; and guiding the implementation and management of the trade group’s accounting, payroll, and HR benefits systems. When she isn’t busy, Christina enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading and watching horror movies.
Nancy Plotke
Accounting and Administrative Coordinator
Originally from Chicago, Nancy recently joined CLA in February 2022. At CLA, Nancy provides administrative support for the accounting and sales/advertising departments. Responsible for billing and accounting support for CLA, PlanetLaundry and LaundryCares Foundation. Nancy comes to CLA with over 16 years of accounting and administrative experience in diverse office environments. This is Nancy’s first experience working with an association and she is enjoying the opportunity.
Planet Laundry
Bob Nieman
Director of Editorial and Content Development
Follow Bob on Twitter: @planetlaundry
A native of Chicago, Bob joined the CLA in 2002 as the editor of PlanetLaundry. Prior to joining the CLA, he held editorial positions with the Bowling Proprietors Association of America, the National Sporting Goods Association and American Nurseryman Publishing Co. Bob earned a bachelor of science degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
Bob writes and edits the majority of the content appearing in the association’s monthly magazine, as well as on PlanetLaundry.com – and is responsible for the overall editorial direction of the PlanetLaundry brand. He lives in Chicago’s western suburbs with his wife and has two adult daughters.
Jennifer Gabris
Graphic Design Manager
Originally from Northern Michigan, Jennifer joined the CLA in February 2007. She earned a bachelor’s degree in visual communications from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. and is responsible for the design and layout of the monthly PlanetLaundry magazine. Jennifer also works with marketing and meetings to design some of the CLA materials. She likes to read, travel with her husband, and spend time with her dog Lou.
Nika Thomas
Director of Advertising and Sponsorship Sales
Originally from Chicago, Nika joined CLA in August 2013 as the Media Sales & Classified Ads Coordinator and was promoted to Advertising and Production Manager in January 2019. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Elmhurst University. In January 2023, Nika was promoted to Director of Advertising & Sponsorship Sales. She leads all advertising sales for PlanetLaundry, as well as all sponsorship sales for the CLA’s in-person and virtual events. In addition, Nika works along side with Danielle Bauer (EVP) to manage the association’s strategic corporate ally program.
One of her biggest joys at CLA is building relationships with members, advertisers and sponsors. In Nika’s spare time, she enjoys taking fitness bootcamp classes, shopping and spending time with friends and family.