[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 96 (Thursday, June 16, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E939-E940]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PAYING TRIBUTE TO TOM SNYDER FOR HIS 9 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE AS 
                PRESIDENT OF IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2016

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tom Snyder 
on the occasion of his retirement from Ivy Tech Community College. For 
the past nine years, Tom has devoted his life to providing an 
exceptional educational experience to the students of Ivy Tech. Ivy 
Tech flourished immensely under Tom's strong leadership, and the 
Hoosier community is forever grateful for his dedication to our state 
and country's future leaders.
  Tom has demonstrated a lifetime passion for serving his community and 
country. As a lifelong resident of Anderson, Indiana, Tom graduated St. 
Mary's High School. He attended Kettering University in Flint, 
Michigan, formerly known as General Motors Institute, and graduated in 
1967 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He later earned a 
master's degree in business administration from Indiana University 
after having served as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air 
Force for 6 years. He applied his passion for learning and education to 
his service in the Air Force, working in research and development at 
various locations such as Vandenberg and Andrews Air Force Bases as 
well as the Pentagon.
  Before serving as President of Ivy Tech, Tom worked as a business 
executive in the

[[Page E940]]

engineering sector. He was CEO of Anderson-based auto-parts maker Remy 
International Inc., which in 1994 spun off from General Motors Corp., 
where he'd spent the previous 20 years. Tom became President of Ivy 
Tech in 2007, right as our country was headed into the Great Recession 
of 2008. Though he did not have a long history in the higher education 
world, Tom was uniquely qualified for the job as his years of leading 
manufacturing companies gave him a pronounced understanding of the 
critical importance of preparing a trained workforce for the Hoosier 
economy.
  Under Tom's leadership, Ivy Tech Community College grew 
exponentially, both in student enrollment and programming. Ivy Tech, 
which serves more than 175,000 students annually at 32 campuses across 
Indiana, is now the largest institution of higher education in Indiana 
and the nation's largest singly-accredited statewide community college 
system. Throughout his tenure as President, Tom redefined the 
educational experience provided at Ivy Tech. He reengineered and 
enhanced the college experience by implementing numerous program 
expansions and initiatives allowing for more educational pathways for 
students. Ivy Tech's duel credit program, which allows students to get 
a jump start on college by earning college credits while still in high 
school, has vastly grown under his guidance, increasing from 8,000 dual 
credit enrollments to over 50,000 enrolled today. Tom was able to fully 
develop new pathways for higher education for students including 
transfer credits between Ivy Tech and many four-year institutions. The 
number of students transferring from Ivy Tech Community College to 
public institutions in Indiana increased by 165 percent, equating to 
about 13,000 students per year.
  Tom's wife, Bobbette, who is also a proud Anderson native, shares 
Tom's passion for education. She served as Executive Director of the 
Leadership Academy of Madison County for more than 22 years until she 
retired in 2014. She's also served as Co-Chair of the Circle of Ivy, a 
women's philanthropy circle at Ivy Tech aimed at cultivating and 
celebrating women as philanthropists and has been hugely influential in 
ensuring the program's success. Tom and Bobbette display a clear 
dedication and love for the entire Hoosier community, especially their 
hometown of Anderson. They have been instrumental in providing 
excellence in education for decades and in doing so have positively 
impacted the lives of countless Hoosiers.
  Tom's success as a leader and astonishing dedication to higher 
education in Indiana has not gone unnoticed. He's received numerous 
awards, most notably the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash from 
Governor Mike Pence (2016), Orr-O'Bannon Lifetime Achievement Award 
from the Indiana Economic Development Association (2014), Outstanding 
Achievement Award from The Greater Indianapolis Branch NAACP 3053 
(2014), and was selected as a 2015 Champion of Diversity by Indiana 
Minority Business Magazine. He's engaged with non-profits and is a 
member of the Tocqueville Society of United Way, was selected to serve 
on numerous educational boards including the Community College Advisory 
Panel, Midwestern Higher Education Compact, the Indiana Career Council, 
and Academic Advisory Council, as well as boards focused on the growth 
of the community and manufacturing workforce such as Conexus, Energy 
Systems Network, Manufacturing Skill Standards Council, Auto 
Communities Network, Enerl, Rebuilding America's Middle Class, Central 
Indiana Corporate Partnership, Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow, 
and the National Workforce Solutions Advisory Board. Additionally, he's 
a member of the Executive Committee for the Indiana State Chamber, the 
Executive Council of the Saint Theodore Guerin High School in 
Noblesville, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and serves 
on the board of the Paramount Theater in Anderson. In 2008, the 
Manufacturing Institute selected Tom to serve on their Education 
Council, the first-ever national education council focused on expanding 
and enhancing the manufacturing workforce, and most recently in 2015, 
he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the College 
Promise Advisory Board, which is a coalition focused on promoting ideas 
for free community college.
  I had the pleasure of working with Tom when I served as Senior Vice 
President and General Counsel for Ivy Tech from 2007 to 2012. His 
leadership and passion for helping others succeed was truly 
inspirational and I feel fortunate to call him a dear friend. Tom has 
left a lasting impact on the lives of students, faculty, and the Ivy 
Tech community. He and Bobbette have made a remarkable impression 
throughout the state of Indiana and left a legacy of success that will 
be built upon for years to come. On behalf of Indiana's Fifth 
Congressional District, I'd like to congratulate Tom on his notable 
career and extend a huge thank you for all the wonderful contributions 
he has made to the Hoosier community. I wish the very best to Tom, 
Bobbette, their four children, and ten grandchildren the best as they 
begin their next adventure in our community they have worked so hard to 
make a wonderful place.

                          ____________________