Pat Snyder, the executive director of East End Arts in Riverhead, will step down at the end of the year after 23 years with the nonprofit organization.
Ms. Snyder joined East End Arts in 1995 as the education director for the then-new East End Arts School, which offers instruction in music, visual art and theater. Ms. Snyder then became the executive director in 2001.
“It has been an honor to lead East End Arts over the years,” Ms. Snyder said in a statement. “My life has been enriched through my work in ways I never could have anticipated. I’ve learned first-hand about the power of the arts to make a difference and have had the pleasure to meet and work with a multitude of amazing creative people. As I move forward to my next adventure I will keep those memories close to my heart.”
Under Ms. Snyder’s leadership, East End Arts has developed a number of programs—including the Teeny Awards, Community Mosaic Street Painting Festival, JumpstART, Winterfest and Music Masters Mentorship Program—that serve the nonprofit’s homebase of Riverhead, the rest of the five East End towns, and schools and individuals from even farther afield.
Ms. Snyder was named the 2000 Educator of the Year by the Times Review Newspapers and received the 2005 Culture Award from the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce. She was named Woman of the Year by the East End Women’s Network in 2007 and was honored by the Peconic Community School in 2014.
She is the current chair of the Suffolk County Arts Advisory Board and on the Advisory Council for Long Island Arts Alliance and the Coltrane Home.
“Pat Snyder has brought strong creativity and direction to programming and growth at East End Arts and the broader community,” East End Arts Board President John McLane said in a statement. “Our membership and school offerings have grown, and events like Winterfest, Community Mosaic and Teeny Awards have contributed significantly to our local economy and sense of community. Finding her replacement is a challenge our board has begun undertaking.”
on Mar 15, 2018