Jackie Griggs
Principal
Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Eastern Illinois University, Jackie eagerly began her career with an eye on the hospitality industry. Her entry into the purchasing world began by chance when in 1996, an acquaintance introduced her to Gerry Brown, a well-renowned hospitality purchasing agent.
That introduction led to a job offer and soon after Jackie relocated from St. Louis to Chicago and became a Purchasing Agent and the third employee at Gerry Brown and Associates (GBA). Jackie was able to work alongside Gerry and learned every aspect of the business. She began with issuing purchase orders, expediting, and coordinating deliveries but, as the company grew, so did Jackie’s responsibilities and before long she was promoted to Senior Project Manager. In this role, Jackie excelled at managing large projects for hotels, restaurants and casinos across the county. Jackie remained at GBA until Gerry Brown’s retirement in 2013.
Jackie takes great pride in working in the hospitality industry and attributes her success to the principles she learned early in her career. Her clients value her open and honest approach and ability to foster cooperation with all members of a project team. She believes that collaboration is crucial to the creative process and key to achieving successful results. Jackie brings her many talents and years of experience to every client engagement at Slate Procurement.
Kathy DeJovine
Principal
As a young girl Kathy was intrigued with the idea of working in the hospitality industry. Her interest grew when she had the chance to travel and experience beautiful hotels and restaurants in nearby and faraway locations. When her education uncovered a love for math and accounting, the practical and the dream merged perfectly into her eventual career.
With a Bachelor of Science in Textiles, Apparel, and Merchandising from Northern Illinois University, Kathy began her career as a fabric buyer for Hartmarx Corporation where she worked on the Tommy Hilfiger and Austin Reed brands. But the hospitality industry kept calling and in 1996 she joined The Gettys Group as a Purchasing Agent. She moved up the ranks, eventually becoming a Senior Project Manager. Kathy learned to manage large budgets, negotiate pricing, supervise other purchasing agents, and successfully complete large, high-profile hotel projects. She carried these skills with her when she joined Gerry Brown and Associates (GBA) in 2006.
Kathy considers herself lucky to work in the hospitality industry and enjoys the variety of people she gets to work with every day. Her clients view her as a trusted advisor and a valued member of the project team. She believes humor and camaraderie to be as important to project success as hard work and dedication. Kathy brings these qualities along with her strong business skills to every project experience at Slate Procurement.
Karen Moss
Senior Project Manager
As a student majoring in Merchandise Management at The University of Arizona, procurement was clearly in Karen’s future. After graduation she began her career as a shoe buyer for Montgomery Ward. In her eight years there, she became responsible for seven categories of shoes. Karen became highly skilled at analyzing merchandise turnover and inventory levels, averaging more than $40M in annual sales. She was also instrumental in making notable cost-effective decisions for purchase prices and maintaining large inventory.
Leveraging her retail buying experience, Karen joined The Gettys Group in 1999 as a Purchasing Agent and later transitioning to purchasing for the hospitality industry. She eventually managed the entire procurement process for large renovations and new construction projects. In 2007, Karen joined Gerry Brown & Associates where she continued running successful procurement projects for high-profile clients. In 2015 she joined Slate as a Senior Project Manager where she successfully leads large procurement projects for hotels, restaurants, and clubs. Karen’s experience, talent, dedication, and work ethic are invaluable clients and to the team at Slate Procurement.
Erin Sowers
Purchasing Agent
Moving from the Big Apple, Erin brought her purchasing skills to the Windy City. Starting her career in New York after graduating from Indiana University, Erin earned her purchasing stripes at Macy’s flagship store. From associate buyer for accessories to buyers for high-end home merchandise, Erin’s experience includes creating and implementing financial and merchandise plans for $50M of product and contributing to the development of marketing and promotional strategies. Her efforts resulted in surpassing sales & gross margin plans.
Erin joined Slate in 2016 where she continues to use her extensive buying experience to assist the team as a Purchasing Agent. She helps manage large-scale projects by issuing purchase orders, bidding to vendors, and coordinating shipping to ensure on-time/on-budget product delivery. Erin’s enthusiasm, positive attitude, and dedication to hard work are great assets to Slate Procurement.
