Phyllis Snyder spent her career in education. Beginning as a teacher of French at both the high school and college levels, she went on to serve as vice-president of CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning), a national nonprofit focused on increasing access to career advancement through higher education for those in low wage jobs, particularly in health care and telecommunications.
Born in Massachusetts, she has lived in Pennsylvania since 1970. In 2025, she and her husband Peter moved from Merion, a suburb of Philadelphia, into center city. While living in the suburbs, Phyllis belonged to Main Line Reform Temple Beth Elohim, where she held a number of leadership positions. With their move to the city, Phyllis and Peter have joined and become active in Congregation Rodeph Shalom.
Since her retirement, Phyllis has focused much of her attention on J Street. She has built the Philadelphia chapter, serving as chair for eight years, and has been a member of the national board since 2020. Food has been a lifelong passion for Phyllis and she is deeply committed to the work MAZON does to ensure that access to nutritious food is a basic right.
Phyllis is a graduate of Smith College and holds master’s degrees from both Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. She is the proud mother of two and grandmother of three.