Post-Tribune, Gary, Indiana

New Ivy Tech leader cites his business skills
(http://www.post-trib.com/news/397097,snyder.article)

May 23, 2007

BY SHARLONDA L. WATERHOUSE Post-Tribune staff writer

At a luncheon Tuesday, retiring Ivy Tech chief Gerald "Jerry" Lamkin passed rolls and a symbolic baton to President-elect Thomas J. Snyder.

Snyder, who's been an Air Force officer stationed at the Pentagon and a business executive overseeing millions, will now transfer his talents to education, running the Ivy Tech Community College system, starting July 1.

It's his first time overseeing an education system, but Snyder said his corporate and military background have given him skills to take Ivy Tech to the next level.

Discipline.

Teamwork.

And an eye for expansion come naturally to Snyder.

"One of the things I can bring is the ability to make sure we're communicating our story on a national level, not just statewide. As a businessman, I've had to go out there and raise funds and seek community involvement. Plus, I have a good sense of the competitive needs in the workplace."

Snyder, the former president of Delco Remy International for 11 years, is now chairman for Flagship Energy Systems, both in Anderson. He wants to continue Ivy Tech's evolution.

"My philosophy is everyone's a volunteer and my leadership style is based on teamwork and achieving excellence," Snyder said.

He's credited with expanding Delco Remy from a simple General Motors supplier with 1,500 employees and $500 million in sales to a global company with diverse products bringing in $1.3 billion with 6,000 workers.

He wants to work the same type of expansion magic at Ivy Tech, hoping to raise awareness, double enrollment, and increase the academic focus.

Ivy Tech already has a grand history under Lamkin. President since 1983, Lamkin is credited with evolving Ivy Tech from a one-stop vocational site to a gateway to four-year institutions, offering associate degrees and bachelor transition programs.

Lamkin now will retire and write a book on Ivy Tech's history. Snyder will focus on the future, primarily seeing how more Hoosiers can gain the skills needed to meet manpower demands in the workplace.

"While I've not worked in the college system, I've been very close to Ivy Tech over the years," Snyder said.
"Ivy Tech started working with industries on workforce and economic development. In the early days in the '60s and '70s, General Motors, Delco Remy, and other businesses provided equipment for training, faculty, sometimes classrooms, and certainly funding for workers to get retrained."