Mrs. Rose McElrath-Slade is the founder, President and CEO of Strategic Resources, Inc. (SRI), a multinational consulting firm specializing in management consulting, information technology, telecommunications, engineering, logistics, and healthcare support services. Founded as a two-employee start-up in 1988, SRI has grown into a multi-million-dollar corporation employing over 1,000 employees worldwide. SRI services a diverse group of Fortune 500 clients and federal government agencies such as MCI, Blue Cross, Freddie Mac, Department of Defense, Internal Revenue Service, Food and Drug Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Mrs. McElrath-Slade is also the founder of Sisters United in Christ (SUIC) and The McElrath-Slade Wholeness Institute. SUIC is a multi-cultural, non-denominational Christian non-profit organization working to unite and uplift people of all faiths. The Wholeness Institute provides educational opportunities for members of disadvantaged communities and develops initiatives that address the necessity for physical, emotional, mental, social, and economic wholeness for all individuals. Through these charitable organizations, Mrs. McElrath-Slade oversees major philanthropic initiatives such as a local food drive that distributed more than 15,000 meals to homeless individuals in Washington, DC.

She is heavily engaged in civic and community affairs as an active advisory board member for various educational, cultural or artistic organizations. She is a founding member and a Milestone Donor to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  She serves on the National Committee for the Performing Arts (NCPA) for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; serves on the board of College Educate Our Sons (CEOS), a charitable organization working to make college graduation a reality for boys and young men; and serves on the boards of several other organizations working towards social change through financial and cultural opportunity. Mrs. McElrath-Slade has previously served as a partner with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership; served as a board member and trustee for the Inova Health System Foundation; and served on Howard University’s School of Divinity Advisory Board. Mrs. McElrath-Slade’s vision and influence have helped pave the way for the workforce of the future as a founding member of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR) and the Black Human Resources Network (BHRN), not-for-profit organizations focusing on issues affecting the careers and work life quality of African Americans. And, her work as a business mentor is helping the entrepreneurs of today establish bonafide businesses in her local community as well as in other communities around the nation.  

Her accomplishments and unique life story have garnered interest in the field of art and entertainment. She was profiled and included in Deborah Rosado Shaw’s book, Dream Big! A Roadmap for Facing Life’s Challenges and Creating the Life You Deserve. She was a key advisor for author Connie Briscoe’s novel Big Girls Don’t Cry.  She is the creator of Opportunities Unlimited: Women in the Workforce, a business and leadership course adapted for television and broadcast on cable TV for more than four years. She has been featured on television networks such as PBS and CNN, and business shows such as Your Money with Lou Dobbs and First Business. Her entrepreneurialism has also been the subject of several newspaper and magazine articles in The Washington Post, MBE Magazine, the Washington Business Journal, and other local and national publications.

Mrs. McElrath-Slade has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Nations Business Magazine Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative Award; the Merrill Lynch Entrepreneur of the Year Award; the Avon/US SBA Women of Enterprise Award; the Women of Color Technology Award, and others. She has been named "One of the Twenty-five Most Influential Minority Women in Business" several times over. And, is the recipient of the highly prestigious Women of Enterprise Award and the Small Business Award.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mrs. McElrath-Slade holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati; a Master’s Degree from Ohio State University; and is a graduate of the Business Executive Program at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. She is also an ordained minister with a Master of Divinity from the Howard University’s School of Divinity and works to spread God’s ministry throughout the nation.

Mrs. McElrath-Slade’s fundamental guide and inspiration through life and business are her devoted parents who taught her what has become her cherished mantra: Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”