ALUM-TO-ALUM
CAREER
CENTER
EVENTS
STAYCONNECTED
ALUMNICOUNCIL
NEWS
MEMBERBENEFITS
Clay Snyder '93
Return to platform statements
Which on-campus activities were involved in as a student? How did those activities assist you in attaining your career goals?
As a full time student and maintaining a full time job to support my education gave me the opportunity to develop my professional and social skills while receiving a quality education. I participated in Summer Work Experience Program, Intramural Sports and was part of the initial rush class and founding brother of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Participation in these activities assisted me in achieving my career goals by understanding the critical role of achieving a balance in my professional and personal life. The ability to grow my networking skills through participation in these and other events gave me the opportunity to meet fellow students and allow me to work on developing my skills as a hospitality professional.
Please detail your career accomplishments. How will your career path help you be successful in the position that you are being nominated for?
Currently as the Director of Brand Performance for Hilton Hotel Corporation with a focus on the Doubletree brand my eyes have been opened to another side of the hospitality business – “the business of hospitality”. I currently work with over 30 hotels, management companies and ownership groups in the Eastern Region to provide consultative expertise and support that includes revenue generation, training, quality enhancement and cost controls.
Prior to my current position I was with Interstate Hotels and Resorts for almost ten years beginning as a Front Office manager and for the last five years as a General Manager. From the time that I started in the hospitality industry as a dishwasher in a family restaurant I have had the privilege of working with some of the most successful hospitality companies in the world and have been fortunate to be surrounded by many industry professionals that have become and continue to be great mentors to me.
This career path will help me to be successful as the Vice President of the Alumni Council because of the regular interaction that I have with industry professionals, ownership groups and potential students. I look forward to bringing these parties closer together in the way that so many other alumni and non alumni have done for me in my career.
Please list what skills and/or qualities you will bring to the council to help take the council to the next level.
My knowledge of both the hospitality business and the business of hospitality will assist the council in achieving success in that aspect of our alumni connections. As a brand expert and consultant for Doubletree I have showed the skills necessary in building relationships with ownership groups, management companies and individual hotel team members and would like to take that knowledge to alumni council and the alumni community.
What are your vision/goals for the council for the next two years?
After being involved in the Alumni Council over the last year and attending alumni events in Atlanta, Boston, Providence and New York it has become apparent of the potential that we as Johnson and Wales University Alumni have. The three goals that I have for the council over the next two years are:
- Continue with the development of regional alumni chapters throughout the United States.
- Increase the number of Alumni that “feel connected” to the University through the annual alumni survey.
- The establishment of a Johnson and Wales University annual fund that will encourage loyalty and support among alumni, parents and friends of the University.
We as alumni of the University continue to have great success stories and they need to be told, heard and promoted. This is one of the foundations that has made Johnson and Wales University successful over the years and is truly the reason that I have become successful since graduation. As is the case in so many industries it is not only how much you know but it is also who you know and that is where I feel the council can continue to achieve additional success.
Return to platform statements
© 2002 Johnson & Wales University. All rights reserved.