Ken Snyder

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Ken Snyder is a principal and co-founder of SnyderPickerill Media Group, a political advertising firm that specializes in television ads for campaigns and candidates. He is well known for his work as a press secretary and public relations manager, particularly for Democrats such as John F. Street, Ed Rendell, and Vince Fumo.

Education and early career: Snyder earned a master's degree from Loyola University Chicago and pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin. He began his career on John F. Street’s first mayoral campaign in Philadelphia, where he met Vince Fumo. Fumo hired him to work for the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.

Campaign work: In 2002, Snyder ran the campaign for Bob Torricelli in New Jersey’s U.S. Senate race. After Torricelli was replaced by Frank Lautenberg on the ballot, Snyder stayed on the campaign and helped secure a victory.

Public service and private sector: After the Pennsylvania gubernatorial election in 2002, Fumo lent Snyder to Ed Rendell, where he served as acting press secretary for the governor-elect from November 2002 to March 2003. He later returned to the private sector. In 2009, Rendell hired him to publicize Pennsylvania’s share of the federal Recovery Act, a move that drew criticism amid a state hiring freeze. Later that year, he took on the role of interim press secretary after Chuck Ardo’s departure. He is widely regarded as a sharp, effective spokesperson trusted by Republicans and Democrats alike. PoliticsPA called him one of the best political press secretaries in the state, and in 2010 Politics Magazine named him one of Pennsylvania’s most influential Democrats.

SnyderPickerill Media Group: In July 2010, Snyder and Terrie Pickerill formed SnyderPickerill Media Group. They had met while working for David Axelrod on John Schmidt’s 1997 gubernatorial campaign, and they credit Axelrod as a mentor. Snyder’s TV advertising work for Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez was praised for helping her win in 2008.