1990
1990 Began his job as a tax
consulting associate at an
international accounting firm
1991 Passed the CPA exam
1995
2000
2001 Promoted to principal
and named a Young Gun
by West Virginia Executive
magazine
2005
2004 Appointed vice chair
of the WV Economic
Development Authority by
the governor
2005 Named CEO of
Simpson & Osborne
2007 Finalized the merger
agreement with Dixon
Hughes Goodman
2010
2010 Elected to the
executive committee of DHG
2015
2016 Elected chairman of
Vision Shared Inc.
“Stay focused. Learn from
others on a daily basis.
Always have compassion for
people. Surround yourself with
people smarter than you.”
a professional baseball player. A far cry
from the baseball diamond, Slater is also
the partner-in-charge of recruiting and
has served on the firm’s executive, strategic planning and marketing committees.
He is very proud of his role as an inaugural board member of the DHG Women
Forward program, which is aimed at advancing women in the workplace. “As a
proud father of two driven daughters, it
is important to me to see our females in
the firm progress toward management and
beyond,” he explains. “I certainly notice
a healthy difference across our firm. It’s
intentional, it’s relevant, and we believe in
it across the DHG footprint.”
In addition to his demanding career,
Slater is actively involved in a variety of
community and professional organizations, filling the role of board member for
many. He is the immediate past chairman
and serves on the executive committee
of the West Virginia Roundtable, and,
appointed by the governor, he currently
serves as the vice chairman of the West
Virginia Economic Development Authority. Slater also serves as chairman of
Vision Shared Inc.’s board of trustees and
an active member of the Putnam County
Development Authority board and West
Virginia University’s accounting advisory
board. A proud alumnus, he is a member
of the Marshall University Foundation’s
board of trustees and past chair of Marshall’s College of Business board. While
his service is often focused on his home
state and community, Slater is also an
active contributor to the American Red
Cross due to its global reach, as well as
many other philanthropic organizations.
“I have always believed that getting
involved and giving back was a part of
my professional responsibility, but it also
lends to a personal accountability to help
our communities whenever I can,” says
Slater. “I believe that giving is a highly
personal and private endeavor. I prefer
to see time and money targeted to specific causes versus general causes, which is
typically how I determine how to spend
personal time and money.”
Slater’s influence and involvement
doesn’t stop with his firm endeavors and
his commitments to charitable organizations. In 2011, he spearheaded fundraising
efforts that led to $1.2 million being raised
in just three months for the installation
of new synthetic turf fields at Hurricane
High School in Putnam County. “Today
those fields are used by our communities,
kids, senior citizens and charitable organizations,” he says. “Many great people
contributed to that cause. For all of us, we
see the smiles on people’s faces as a result
of the improvements. It’s very gratifying.”
Slater has no plans to slow down any
time soon. His success has not created
complacency, and he believes he still has
more to accomplish.
According to Slater, his motivation
comes from a combination of his love for
his family, drive to constantly be successful and passion for moving the Mountain
State forward. “West Virginia has been
good for my family and me,” says Slater.
“I have had several opportunities to leave
the state, and some force has always kept
me here. West Virginia holds a strong
place in my heart.”
2020
www.wvexecutive.com
summer 2016
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