Snyder has a long history of service. He was a Kettering volunteer firefighter for 35 years, served on the Washington Twp. zoning commission for 18 years and has been a trustee for 12.
“We’re truly fortunate to have had Lee’s leadership,” said fellow Trustee Joyce Young, who served with Snyder the past 12 years. “Lee is very steady, very reasoned. He takes a while, gets all the information he needs, and then he makes up his mind. ... Of course, once he makes up his mind, very often you can’t change it. But topmost in his mind is serving the people of the township. And he’s never let anything else sway him.”
Scott Paulson will take Snyder’s seat on the board of trustees in January. Washington Twp. officials hosted a reception for Snyder before his final trustee meeting Dec. 21, and Snyder said he was overwhelmed by the compliments he received.
“I had to pinch myself a couple of times to see if it was me they were talking about,” he said. “I’ve had great people to work for, and I always thought of myself as a team player, not a Superman.”
Snyder, 74, owns Snyder Concrete Products in Kettering and has lived in Washington Twp. since 1961. He said he’s proud that the township and its services — from the fire department and roads to the schools and general government — have kept pace with the growth of the area.
“We’re an upgrade community, and we try to keep it that way,” he said.
Snyder said some of the things he’s most proud of from his time as a trustee are the preservation of green space, the growth of the road system and the recent accreditation of the fire department. And Snyder hopes Washington Twp. and Centerville stay separate for years to come, saying the competition between the communities helps make them both better.
“They are good people at the city,” Snyder said. “I throw some stones at them every once in awhile, and they throw them back, but we’re good friends, and I appreciate what they do. They like the city and we like our grass-roots type of government.
“I’m very proud of this community and always will be,” he said. “They’ll have to carry me out feet first.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2278 or jkelley@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author
