Alumni Award: Service

Fall 2016 Issue

Karen Goeringer ’61 Snider has been widely recognized for her commitment to the Harrisburg, Pa., area. In 2015, United Way of the Capital Region named her Humanitarian of the Year. Snider’s involvement with the United Way spans more than 25 years. Among other contributions, she assists with their fundraising and strategic planning.

Her devotion to the United Way is only one element in a varied and full life of service. Snider also shows tremendous dedication to schools as the executive director of the Harrisburg Public Schools Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the Harrisburg School District. A few years ago, the nonprofit raised approximately $400,000 from the community, which prevented the elimination of athletic and band programs from the district.

“We stepped up to the plate,” Snider says. She calls the foundation’s work “one of the things that I am most proud of.”

Snider also serves as chief mentor in the Middle District of the U.S. Federal Court, helping individuals who are leaving federal prison to arrange employment, housing and healthcare. In addition, she chairs a task force for the Girl Scouts in the Heart of PA and serves the YWCA of the Harrisburg Area in a number of ways.

Her previous community service commitments include working with the Rotary Club of Harrisburg, the Mental Health Association of the Capitol Region and Red Cross of the Susquehanna Valley. As a Susquehanna student, she volunteered weekly at the Selinsgrove Center with her sorority.

Snider’s long career with the state, which included stints as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (now the Department of Human Services) and as deputy secretary for mental health, reflected her interest in improving the lives of others. Currently, Snider is president of the Susquehanna Consulting and Financial Group, which offers nonprofits guidance on topics such as grant research and presentation.

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