Joe Snyder recalls that early in his career in information technology he served on project review and planning teams in West Africa. There he met numerous Wycliffe, SIL and JAARS personnel and was impressed by their dedication to reaching Bibleless people in all parts of the world.
Joe and his wife, Jerry, had been supporting Wycliffe missionaries financially for several years when, in 2001, they heard a clear call from God to step into mission work themselves. At first they thought this would mean moving to an overseas location and serving in a field office, but they soon learned of a serious need for individuals with their skills at the Wycliffe USA headquarters in Orlando.
Joe’s experience serving in academia at Oregon State University, Eastern Oregon University, and the University of Texas Medical School was good preparation for the unique Wycliffe setting. In addition, his IT experience with local government in Boulder, Colorado, and at several private-sector companies in Colorado gave him the breadth of experience needed for his current role as Vice President for Information Technology and CIO.
Joe holds a bachelor of science in mathematics and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Houston. He has also taken advanced graduate training courses in business and economics at Oregon State University. Currently he serves on the Board of the Graduate Institute for Applied Linguistics in Dallas, Texas.
Joe and his wife, Jerry, were married in 1967 and have two children: Sandy (married to Joe) with four children and Susan (married to Brandon) with one child.