Raised in Fultonville, a small village in the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York, Edward Schlote took up residence in New Philadelphia in 1983. Soon after, he and his wife, Gale, felt at home in the Tuscarawas Valley.

Ed graduated from Paul Smith's College, in the Adirondack's, with a degree in Hotel and Resort Management and then entered the manufacturing and management field with General Electric and Electric Apparatus Company. Then, in 2009, Ed retired from the Dana Corporation (formerly Handy & Harman Automotive) after 24 years of service.

After many years of traveling to Dana's manufacturing plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Ed is looking forward to spending more time with his family as well as dedicating more time to his church, The First United Methodist Church at New Philadelphia. An active member of the church, he has been involved as a Lighthouse Youth Center and Missions Volunteer and Sunday School and Bible Study groups. Along with Gale, Ed also volunteers with Mobile Meals.

Now in retirement, Ed is planning for more time on the golf course, traveling and simply visiting and caring for his grandson. He also is looking forward to working with families at Geib's during their time of need. "During my time at Paul Smith's College, I learned quite a bit about hospitality and its comforting benefits to guests. I strongly believe the families we serve deserve the high level of hospitality that Geib's are known for and I'm proud to be part of the team delivering that service."

Ed's family includes his wife, Gale, whom he married in 1970; a daughter, Allyson Miller and her husband, Tim and a grandson, Jaxen.