Jackie Ose – Slate Solutions Architect
Jackie is a seasoned expert in implementing and optimizing Slate CRM solutions for higher education. She has successfully led multiple high-impact Slate implementations and data integration projects, tailoring solutions to meet unique institutional needs while navigating change management challenges, staffing transitions, and tight project timelines.
She has designed and executed comprehensive curriculum programs that engage key stakeholders through strategic planning, consistent task management, and robust data collection. Additionally, Jackie has planned and led CRM conference sessions, sharing valuable insights and strengthening vendor relationships. At ERI, Jackie leads the strategic planning, implementation, and optimization of your Slate communications, ensuring they align seamlessly with any institution’s enrollment objectives.
Can you tell us a bit about your professional journey and how you became a Slate Solutions Architect?
I’ve always been drawn to roles that support students and improve access to education. Early in my career, I worked on programs that helped students succeed academically and navigate complex systems, especially those coming from underrepresented backgrounds. Over time, I found myself really enjoying the behind-the-scenes work of figuring out how to make processes smoother, systems more intuitive, and data more useful.
Once I started working with Slate, I saw how powerful and adaptable it could be and I really enjoyed the challenge of tailoring it to fit the unique needs of each team. I began supporting institutions through their first implementations, helping them build confidence in the system and showing them how to make it truly their own. As a Slate Solutions Architect at ERI, I get to combine what I love most: solving problems, working closely with others, and making a real impact through thoughtful, strategic solutions.
What excites you most about working with Slate, and how do you see it transforming the way institutions manage their student data?
What excites me most about Slate is how adaptable it is. It’s not a one-size-fits-all system. Institutions can shape it to reflect their unique processes, goals, and culture. Whether it’s building custom portals, streamlining communications, or designing complex workflows, Slate gives teams the tools to create solutions that actually fit how they work.
I also love how community-driven it is. We aren’t just handed a static system—we’re actively empowered to design, iterate, and evolve our instances over time. That kind of flexibility makes it easier to respond to change, scale operations, and align the CRM with strategic priorities across departments, at any institution.
What’s equally transformative is the way Slate centralizes and unlocks data. Instead of juggling multiple disconnected systems, institutions can access real-time, actionable insights in one place. Slate makes it easy to track engagement, monitor performance, and inform strategy using dashboards, queries, and reports, all without needing a separate analytics platform or your IT team’s support. I sound like an advertisement for Slate, but I’ve truly felt how access to data like this activates teams to shift from reactive and siloed to active and strategic.
How would you describe your approach to problem-solving and innovation in Slate projects, and how does that align with ERI’s mission to Engage. Reach. Impact.?
I love a good puzzle. In fact, my mom, aunt, grandmother, and I once won a (local) team speed-puzzling competition—which tells you a lot about how I approach challenges. When something isn’t working in Slate, I’m genuinely excited to dive in, test a few different solutions, and figure out how all the pieces fit together. That mindset helps me stay curious and creative, even when projects get complex.
But for me, it’s not just about solving the problem—it’s about helping others understand the why behind the solution. I enjoy teaching and walking teams through how something is built in Slate, so they not only know how to use it, but feel confident maintaining and evolving it on their own. I truly believe empowering users in that way leads to stronger systems, deeper engagement, and more sustainable outcomes.
At ERI, I strive to engage people by listening and collaborating closely, reach by designing solutions that work across teams and functions, and impact by building tools that improve both the technical system and the human experience of using it.
In your opinion, what’s the most important factor for institutions to consider when implementing or optimizing Slate?
One of the biggest factors institutions should consider is designating time to innovate and improve your Slate setup. Slate is a flexible platform that works best when you keep updating it to fit your institution’s changing needs.
While this requires scrounging for a spare minute during a busy yield and cycle prep time, carving out time to review workflows, try out new features, fix any issues, and find ways to work more efficiently is key. It’s important to do this not just at the start but on an ongoing basis.
When you make regular improvements a priority, your Slate system stays user-friendly and effective and supports your institution’s goals over time.
Outside of work, what are some of your passions or hobbies that help you stay inspired and balanced?
I absolutely love ceramics and wheel-throwing pottery! Alongside my Slate work, I own a community pottery studio in Concord, NH, and I’m thrilled to be able to provide pottery classes, workshops, and memberships to my community. I’m a huge fan of kayaking on a still, glassy lake, holding my husband’s camera bag on wildlife “safaris”, and traveling all over the world. I am also dangerously close to checking off two of my many bucket list items: visiting all 63 National Parks and all 50 states.
