The Slate foundation

The Slate Foundation Leadership

Bill Slate

President and Founder

Bill Slate, the son of a Zoo curator, founded the Slate Foundation with his wife Madison in 2005. While living onsite with his father and mentor at the Lubbock Texas Zoo he realized his immense passion for animals. While attending University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship Bill worked at the Oklahoma Zoo and later moved on to work as a trainer for Marine Life Animal Productions in Mississippi. This rare opportunity to work with a variety of animals from Bald Eagles to Howler Monkeys fueled him to work with companies such as National Geographic, which eventually led him to the Congo where he started the Slate Foundation.

Madison Slate

CEO and Founder

Madison Slate, a native to Wisconsin, founded the Slate Foundation with her husband Bill in 2005. After graduating from Arizona State University with a BS in Finance, Madison worked for Senator John McCain as the Arizona State Women's Liaison. Upon Senator McCain's reelection and a job offer in Washington DC, Madison chose to move on and pursue a career as a producer in the television industry where she met her husband Bill and began The Slate Foundation.

Gina Longo

Operational Director

Gina Longo, a native Californian, attended Loyola Marymount University where she received a BA in film and television. After graduation she moved on to run film production companies, manage law firms and litigation teams, and recorded an album of her own. Today Gina sits on the Century City Rotary Club Board, practices real estate, and continues to write business plans for non-profits.

Mike Niemann

Director of Planning and Design

Mike Niemann is a senior conceptual and architectural designer with a diverse range of project types from the nomadic museum Ashes and Snow to Eco-Resorts for Passport Resorts. Collaborations around the globe for a wide range of companies and individuals including Paul Hawken, Walt Disney Imagineering, Airstream Travel Trailers and Starwood Hotels and Resorts have shaped his unique worldview and cultivated his awareness of transcending cultural boundaries through design. Well-versed in many architectural traditions, his involvement on projects encompasses planning, architecture and a hands-on approach to construction. His eclectic list of clientele and collaborators influence his current work, which focuses on the intersection of arts, community, and the environment. Mike dedicates a significant amount of his creative energy assisting and growing non-profit ventures.

Danielle Mendez

Director of Development

Danielle, a veteran event planner and chef, attended UCLA and Le Cordon Bleu and has been in non profit development for 20 years. Danielle currently sits on 9 non-profit boards advocating for health, education, human rights and transplantation. Danielle has opened multiple fine dining restaurants and hotels as a Business Development and Events Director and currently owns a catering and event planning company while also running an organic farm in Southern California.

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Board of Directors