Steve Snyder will be retiring next week after 39 years of employment at Miami University. He began working in the Office of the President in 1997 and is currently the Executive Assistant to the President and the Secretary to the Board of Trustees.
Snyder graduated from Miami with a Bachelor's Degree in political science in 1973 and also earned an MBA in organizational behavior.
He began his employment at Miami as a student employee then worked for 19 years in the Shriver Center after graduation. He started as a Night Manager and worked his way up to Director of the Shriver Center. Snyder was also the Director of Conference Services and Community Relations.
His 14 years in the President's Office allowed Snyder to build trusting relationships with his colleagues. He thinks of his department as a team that has each other's backs like a family. Snyder plans to maintain these relationships through phone calls, email, attending social events and being involved in the community.
Snyder had many significant experiences at Miami such as hosting the Dalai Lama in 2010.
Claire Wagner, director of news and public communication, worked with Snyder in planning this event.
"It is so refreshing to work with somebody who keeps an even head in stressful situations," Wagner said.
Wagner has worked for 21 years at Miami and said she will miss Snyder's advice and calmness in hectic settings. She said Snyder always considers what is best for the community and students when making a decision.
One of Snyder's favorite experiences at Miami was serving as Interim Athletic Director in 2002 for a few months because of his love for sports. He enjoyed being intimately involved with a different side of the university.
Although he will no longer be employed at the university, Snyder said he would be happy to be an adviser or someone to talk with about issues.
Snyder's willingness to help others and the community is a testament to his dedication to Oxford and the Miami community. He was elected to City Council in November and he plans to make that a priority next year. Community service is also high on his list of priorities.
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Snyder said he is looking forward to spending more time with his family as a retiree. His daughters and granddaughters live out of state so he plans to visit them more often.
Snyder's wife and daughters graduated from Miami. "The Snyder family has benefited tremendously from our affiliation with Miami (and) our degrees with Miami," Snyder said.
Friday, the President's Office will host a retirement reception for Snyder. The reception will take place from 4-6 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Shriver Center and all community members are welcome.
Snyder said he is hoping that it will be a fun, light-hearted reception and is expecting some surprises from his colleagues.
"The folks I work with are pretty sneaky and they know how to keep secrets so I have no idea what they're up to," Snyder said.
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