Team Members

David Klementz

David Klementz joined Traditions Health as President and CEO after spending more than 15 years with Encompass Health, formerly HealthSouth, where he most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer and was previously an SVP of Operations. Prior to joining Encompass, he served as SVP and CFO of Progress Rail, a $1.3B rail services business, where he was responsible for strategic and business planning, financial performance and leadership of the company’s financial, accounting and information technology functions. He has also held the position of manager of business development and planning for Progress Energy, vice president of finance and accounting for Analytical Sciences, Inc., and division controller for the Oracle Corp. A certified public accountant, Klementz received his bachelor’s degree in finance from James Madison University, his certification in procurement and contract administration from the University of Virginia, and completed Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business Leadership Development Program.

Mariana A. Pope, JD, MPH

Mariana is a performance-driven professional with over 10 years’ experience in health care compliance, including HIPAA privacy and security, billing compliance, and corporate compliance. Prior to joining Traditions Health, Mariana served as Director of Compliance and Privacy for Texas Children’s Hospital.

Mariana earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Houston, her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Texas Houston Health Science Center, and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Houston Law Center.

Mariana and her husband, Cameron, reside in Houston, Texas. They have four children.

Tarik Shirif

Tarik has more than 30 years of professional leadership experience, with more than 20 of those years in the home care sector. Prior to joining Traditions Health in 2019, Tarik was President/CEO of Centrix Health Resources – an organization offering hospice, home health, durable medical equipment, private duty, and physician services.

Tarik attended the University of Minnesota, where he majored in management and finance.

Tarik and his wife, Audrey, reside in Mesa, Arizona. They have five children.

Kianoush Rahbar

Kianoush has an extensive technology and management background. Prior to joining Traditions Health, Kianoush worked in the high-tech industry for more than 30 years at companies such as Intel and Honeywell. Kianoush co-founded and operated Homestead Hospice of Arizona in 2009. He then accepted the Chief Information Officer (CIO) position at Homestead Hospice & Palliative Care in 2015.

Kianoush’s accomplishments range from managing teams of engineers and scientists to developing and delivering advanced technology at Intel, as well as establishing advanced IT infrastructure and analytics tools and processes for Homestead Hospice & Palliative Care.

Kianoush has a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado. He and his family make their home in Phoenix, Arizona.

Donna Sullivan

Donna joined Traditions Health in January of 2021 as the Vice President of Clinical Performance and Education.

Donna currently oversees the teams tasked with Quality/Home Health; OASIS submission and packet review; and HCHB processes and workflow. She has also taken on the responsibility for The Joint Commission accreditation initiative. Donna has been a Registered Nurse leader for more than 35 years with 20 of those years focused on home health, hospice, and private duty. Prior to joining Traditions Health, Donna served as Regional Vice President of Operations for Home Health at Encompass Health; Senior Vice President of Operations at Camellia Home Health and Hospice, and Regional Director of Operations for Deaconess Home Health and Hospice.

Crystal Mineo Diaz, PHR, SHRM-CP

Crystal joined Traditions Health Care in 2011. Her background includes responsibility for employee benefits, employee relations, payroll system integration, talent acquisition, mergers and acquisitions, and management. Crystal is a Certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Society of Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).

Crystal has a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Sam Houston State University and a master’s degree in human resource management from Tarleton State University.

Crystal and her husband, Sonny, live in College Station, Texas. They have three children.

Tony Maxwell, PA

Tony Maxwell has over 30 years’ experience in the health care setting. Prior to joining Traditions Heath, he served as the Regional Vice President of Operations for Encompass Health, Regional Director of Operations for Visiting Physicians, and as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Tony began his career as a Physician Assistant 25 years ago, as an officer in the United States Air Force.

Freeman Smith

Freeman has more than 25 professional years of Health Care experience. Prior to joining Traditions Health, he served as COO of Harbor Light Hospice.

He attended DePaul University where he received his degree in psychology. In addition to his many accomplishments, Freeman is conversant in American Sign Language.

Freeman and his wife, Sean, reside in Naperville, Illinois. They have one child.

Adam Alger

Adam Alger has accepted the Southeast Regional President role. Adam will lead the Southeast Region to include Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.

Adam joined Traditions Health as the Vice President of Process Improvement and served as interim president over the West Region as well as the recently acquired Homestead Hospice. He has over 20 years of leadership experience in home health and hospice. Prior to joining Traditions Health, Adam served as Regional Director of Operations with Encompass Health. He was responsible for the oversight of 11 hospice branches in five states.

Jo Ann Mack

Jo Ann Mack joins Traditions Health with more than 30 years’ experience in the home health, private duty, and hospice industries. She worked with VITAS for 16 years as a Senior Vice President of Operations. She then joined VNA Health in Santa Barbara as Chief Operating Officer. Following her time with VNA Health, she was the Chief Operating Officer for Mission Health Care.

Jo Ann and her husband, David, reside in Los Angeles County. They have three children and three grandchildren.