EXECUTIVE TEAM

Glenn Clayton, Founder & CEO               @Glenn_Clayton

“What excites me most about my job is that Appleton is literally changing the paradigms of the education industry and pioneering new ways to individualize the learning experience.  And I get to be a part of that.”

Passion for education and for serving others led Glenn Clayton to launch Appleton Learning in 2004. But Appleton's story began before the official launch of the company while Clayton was a college student.  Clayton began his college career on full academic scholarship, but quickly realized that he needed to earn income to pay for college essentials like books and supplies.  Since a full class load prevented him from pursuing a normal job, he began tutoring fellow classmates to earn money.  Clayton quickly identified a void in the way that traditional tutoring programs served students; they delivered rigid programs with fixed schedules and predetermined curricula.   No matter how much tutoring some students received, they never truly grasped the material.

Instinct told him there was a better way. Clayton developed a Academic Coaching process that tailored his teaching approach to fit each student’s unique learning style. He sought to make learning interesting for each student, and interesting meant a different approach for each individual.  At its official launch, Appleton set out to change the tutoring industry by delivering services specifically tailored to each student’s unique needs. Appleton began strategically pairing each student with an Academic Trainer who complemented his or her personality as well as academic needs.  Both gifted students and remedial students alike found tremendous success with Appleton’s individualized approach.

"Every student learns differently...teaching to their unique learning style will always deliver the best results."

Today, Appleton Learning uses its proprietary geniuStyle assessment to help identify each student's unique learning

Gary Wade, Director of Operations               @garywade07

Gary Wade brings a wealth of experience in process implementation and quality assurance to Appleton Learning.  He is an Aristotle learner, Gary is intrinsically motivated to succeed! He is trained as a Total Quality Assurance facilitator and has over 30 years of management experience with FedEx Express and Capital One Financial. He has managed budgets up to $30M and oversaw as many as 500 employees. His entire career has focused on making the highest quality service available to meet the needs of a diverse customer base.

Wade’s passion for development and improvement extends well beyond business processes; he is passionate about employee development and mentoring as well as helping others further their personal career goals.  Wade holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from James Madison University.

Sonia Robinson, APR, Director of Marketing               @SoniaSRobinson

Sonia Robinson, APR, is a Rembrandt learner who lives by her to-do list! She loves to plan and loves to work her plan especially when it comes to creating programs and projects that educate and inspire. Robinson brings over seven years of marketing and public relations experience to the Appleton team.  She is a graduate of the University of North Alabama where she earned both a Bachelor and Master of Business degree (go Lions). She holds several leadership positions in civic and public relations-related organizations.  She has earned numerous awards from the Public Relations Council of Alabama. Robinson notes, “The Appleton Learning story is one deeply rooted in individualized education and I am delighted to be able to share that story with clients, students, education professionals and franchise partners.”