Dennis Slater got his Trinity-Pawling diploma in May 1968, turned south out of the front gates, and didn’t set foot on campus for 40 years. For whatever reason, he decided to come back for his class reunion in 2008. What he experienced that weekend opened his eyes—and his heart. “I have returned to campus every year since then, and our 50th reunion at the end of September will be my tenth consecutive visit. I plan to come back to Pawling every year until they ring my bell at the alumni memorial service.”
During Slater’s visit in 2008, he saw how the School had evolved over four decades. “I was so impressed and finally realized what Trinity-Pawling meant to me and to so many others. I’m a business and financial planner by nature and have the utmost respect for how all the headmasters since Matt Dann have brought the School along.”
Slater spent four years at Trinity-Pawling and then attended Rutgers University majoring in accounting and business administration. He has lived in Florida since 1975, where he held financial executive positions in the automotive industry. He currently owns a strategic business planning advisory firm called CEO-CFO Solutions, LLC and is the principal owner of the USCIS-authorized Florida EB-5 Regional Center based in Tampa.
Slater is chairing the Class of 1968 Scholarship Legacy Fund, with a goal of raising $196,800. The kick-off is slated for the September 29th Reunion Weekend. Spurred by good-natured competition, Slater hopes this initiative will surpass the Class of 1967’s target of $100,000. “Several significant pledges have been made already to get us on the way, but now we need more classmates to step up,” Slater says. “This gift will stand as our Class’s legacy and generate vital scholarship funds for Trinity-Pawling students. What a great way to impact the School!”
“My biggest regret is that it took me so long to return to campus, but that absence has only intensified my passion for Trinity-Pawling. The School has done a fabulous job, and I’m honored to be associated with its evolution.”
For more information on how to contribute to the Class of 1968 Scholarship Legacy Fund, please contact Dennis at SlaterTampa@gmail.com or Director of Major Gifts Colleen Dealy at cdealy@trinitypawling.org.