Mary Ellen Slayter leads new business development and strategy at Rep Cap. Before launching the agency 10 years ago, she served as director of content development at SmartBrief, as a columnist and financial editor at The Washington Post, and as a late-night server at Louie’s Cafe, where she learned the fine art of getting drunk LSU frat boys to pay their bill. She has a B.S. in agronomy from Louisiana State University, and an M.J. in journalism from the University of Maryland. She still can’t resist asking strangers about their first job.