Slater is SSI's Director of Marketing & Planning Services. In that role, he primarily works on marketing and business planning projects, as well as in-depth primary research. Slater earned his Ph.D. in English from Columbia University.  He served as President and principal owner of Communication Design, Inc. and Group Marketing, Inc. advertising agencies based in Pittsburgh, until 1990, when he joined McGill, Power, Bell & Associates, LLP, a regional accounting firm, as its Director of Marketing.  Recently, he joined Strategy Solutions, Inc as Director of Marketing and Planning Services.

Slater’s experience includes in-depth primary research, analytic report writing, and the formulation of marketing and business plans.  He has been instrumental in providing marketing and business plans for social enterprise projects for nonprofit organizations and for expansion projects for universities, as well as in-depth research and marketing analysis for economic development projects.