Deslatte received his Ph.D. from the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University, as well as master's degrees in public administration and political science from FSU. His research interests focus broadly on local government management, land use, sustainable development and social equity. Deslatte's work has appeared in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Urban Affairs Review, Policy Studies Journal and other journals. Prior to joining NIU, he had a 15-year career in journalism at news organizations from The Kansas City Star and Gannett News Service to his last position as the Tallahassee Bureau Chief for the Orlando Sentinel, where he covered the governor, Florida Legislature, executive agencies and state political campaigns.