Our Team

John Cleveland, CLU

Partner, CFO
Employee Benefits Consultant

John Cleveland, CLU

952-562-9401

jcleveland@sevenhillscleveland.com

Mr. Cleveland cofounded The Cleveland Company in 1988.

John grew up in Burnsville. He earned his Bachelor of Science Business Degree at the University of Minnesota and earned his Chartered Life Underwriters Degree from the American College.

He has served on many boards through the years. John began his career right out of college as a life insurance agent for Lincoln National. Several years into his career he began focusing solely on employee benefits. After working with Alexander and Alexander and a Wayzata Financial Planning Firm, in 1988 John along with his father, Sam Cleveland formed The Cleveland Company.

The firm has grown to several hundred clients, many of which date back to the company’s founding. Influenced by his life insurance and financial planning background, as well as his extensive employee benefit background, John believes that the most important part of employee benefits is the careful design and effective communication so as to mitigate the financial exposure of everyday families, while being financially affordable to the employers. Compliance and Human Resources Support are also critical in this highly regulated industry.

John lives in Victoria with his wife. His three children and eight grandchildren all live nearby. In his spare time, you may find him on skis, a bicycle, a windsurfing board, or a sailboat. He is also known to swing a golf club every now and then.

Michelle Maher

Partner, COO
Employee Benefits Consultant

Michelle Maher

952-562-9403

mmaher@sevenhillscleveland.com

Ms. Maher graduated from the University of St. Thomas with double majors in Accounting and Financial Management. She spent the first 12 years of her career working for a small life insurance company‘s Home Office as a Business & Systems Analyst.

Michelle made the transition to Employee Benefits in 1996 and as the COO and a partner of the firm, she utilizes her multitasking personality, in-depth knowledge of insurance, benefits and small business needs, plus extensive experience in practices, policies, and procedures, to resolve client’s problems. When there is a question and it is not crystal clear which department should handle it, Michelle is the go-to person and solution finder. Michelle also enjoys collaborating with our clients to help them and their employees financially thrive.

Ms. Maher was recognized three times as a Twin Cities Business Magazine Five Star Health Insurance Professional for overall customer satisfaction.

Michelle and her husband live in Burnsville, and have two adult children. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys reading, golf, walking and watching baseball.

Chris Schneeman, CLU, ChFC, RHU

Partner, CEO
Employee Benefits Consultant

Chris Schneeman, CLU, ChFC, RHU

952-562-9402

CSchneeman@sevenhillscleveland.com

Mr. Schneeman is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a BBA in Finance, and is the third generation of family insurance professionals in Minnesota.

He has built a stellar reputation in the life insurance and employee benefits industry as an expert, innovator, and client advocate. Chris is involved in a variety of professional association leadership roles, serving as chair of the “Agents Coalition for Health Care Reform,” which advocates for responsible health insurance reform in Minnesota and various other industry leadership roles. He has been appointed to and served on Health Care Advisory task forces by both Governors Tim Pawlenty and Mark Dayton.

Chris holds designations as a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Registered Health Underwriter (RHU). Nationally, the life and health insurance industries recognize his professional achievements as a Life and Qualifying member in the Million Dollar Round Table, and as a “Soaring Eagle” member of the Leading Producers Round Table. Chris is a recipient of the Minnesota Association of Health Underwriters John J. Symanitz Award, in recognition of lifetime professional and personal achievement.

Chris lives in Mendota Heights. He and his wife have 5 children and 6 rambunctious grandsons. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, the cabin, and an occasional triathlon.

Tony Black, RPA, AIF

CEFEX-Certified Retirement Plan Advisor

Tony Black, RPA, AIF

952-562-9414

Tblack@sevenhillscleveland.com

Mr. Black graduated from The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota with degrees in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management.

Tony provides retirement plan support and advisory services to SevenHills Cleveland Benefits Partners clients. He has been working as a qualified plan consultant since 2005 and has experience working with hundreds of different employers’ plans, including Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit plans.

Tony is an Investment Advisor Representative with Pensionmark Financial Group and holds the professional designations of “Accredited Investment Fiduciary” and “Retirement Plans Associate”. Tony advises plan sponsors in the development and management of their retirement plans to make sure the goals of the organization are in line with the design and operation of the plans. Tony helps employers manage their fiduciary obligations to participants with focus on efficient plan design, an investment due diligence process that adheres to fiduciary best practices, and strategic and direct participant communications.

Tony resides in Eden Prairie with his wife and two daughters and enjoys playing golf, softball, basketball and football when (if) he has spare time.

Tony Cleveland

Employee Benefits Consultant

Tony Cleveland

952-562-9415

tcleveland@sevenhillscleveland.com

Mr. Cleveland is a native of Shorewood, Minnesota, and attended St. Mary’s University in Winona, MN, studying Elementary Education. He taught at the elementary level for 5 years and joined the Cleveland Company full time in 2016.

Tony likes educating people about insurance benefit programs and taking exceptional care of clients and their employees via affordable, comprehensive benefit plans.

Tony enjoys spending time with his family and is married with 4 boys. A sports fan, Tony is wild about the MN WILD and the MN TWINS. In the summer, you can find him boating on one of Minnesota 11, 842 lakes.

Dan Schneeman

Employee Benefits Consultant

Dan Schneeman

952-562-9422

DSchneeman@sevenhillscleveland.com

Mr. Schneeman is a fourth generation insurance professional, following Great Grandfather Lambert, Grandfather Daniel, and Father Chris. Daniel graduated from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin in 2006 with degrees in Religious Studies and Business.

Mr. Schneeman has extensive experience with individual products such as health, life, disability and identity theft insurance. He advises on these products as well as serves as an advisor for employer-sponsored group plan options. He is actively involved in the St. Norbert Alumni program in Minnesota.

Mr. Schneeman is also involved in the community. He is a graduate of the prestigious Leadership St. Paul (LSP) program through the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce. LSP objectives center on building future community leaders by training, challenging and engaging emerging and existing leaders to better strengthen the Saint Paul/East Metro region. Dan serves on the Board of Trustees for Merrick, Inc. since December 2016. Merrick offers a variety of meaningful work options and life enrichment activities to over 375 adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Daniel lives in West St. Paul with his wife and two children. He enjoys cooking, baking bread, and making homemade beer.

Matt Voecks, RPA, AIF

CEFEX-Certified Retirement Plan Advisor

Matt Voecks, RPA, AIF

952-562-9419

MVoecks@sevenhillscleveland.com

Matt is originally from Thief River Falls in northern Minnesota. He went on to study and graduate with a Finance and Economics degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Matt currently holds an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Designation from the Center for Fiduciary Studies along with a Retirement Plan Associate designation from the Wharton School of Business. Matt has been consulting with qualified retirement plans since 2004 providing a comprehensive customized approach for plan sponsors wanting to take advantage of his experience, knowledge of plan design and investment process.

As a Qualified Plan Consultant, he has experience working with hundreds of different employer plans across all industries ranging from retail, manufacturing and professional service firms. Matt’s primary role is to provide custom plan design consultation, investment monitoring and analysis, fiduciary services and education for plan sponsors and participants. Matt is uniquely suited to be an advocate for his clients with his down to earth, personalized approach and willingness to defy the status quo.

Matt currently lives in Mendota Heights and enjoys working out, playing golf, snow skiing and traveling in his spare time.