News Release

Robin Snyder Named Superintendent of Booker T. Washington National Monument

Robin Snyder, superintendent of Booker T. Washington National Monument

NPS Photo

News Release Date: June 12, 2019

Contact: John Harlan Warren, 215-908-3159

National Park Service Northeast Regional Director Gay Vietzke has named Robin Snyder as the superintendent of Booker T. Washington National Monument in Hardy, Virginia. Snyder will also remain superintendent of Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, where she has worked since 2015. 

“The decision to place both Appomattox Court House and Booker T. Washington under a single superintendent allows for greater resource sharing and increased flexibility for both units,” said Vietzke. “It also provides opportunities for collaborative programming focused on the theme of Civil War to civil rights.”  

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as superintendent of two sites that tell our collective American story,” said Snyder. “In his autobiography, Up from Slavery, Booker T. Washington describes in his own words the symbolic end of our country’s bitter civil war at Appomattox and the moment he and his family found they were free.  I am excited to work with the dedicated employees and volunteers at Booker T. Washington National Monument to share the stories and lessons of Washington’s life and legacy.” Snyder will work with park staff, volunteers, partners, and the community to enhance visitor accessibility and enjoyment of the site and to reduce the park’s maintenance backlog. 

Snyder is a native of Appomattox, Virginia, where she graduated from high school. She attended the University of Virginia, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in American History and a Masters of Education.

Snyder’s prior work experience included serving as the chief of interpretation and visitor services at New River Gorge National River, Gauley River National Recreation Area and the Bluestone National Scenic River.  Snyder oversaw the operation of the park’s four visitor centers that served more than 300,000 visitors annually. She also held positions as the volunteer and youth programs coordinator for the Northeast Region of the National Park Service and education specialist at Petersburg National Battlefield where she provided field trip and outreach experiences for 10,000 students annually. She is committed to the work of engaging youth and communities in park and outreach programs.  

Appomattox Court House and Booker T. Washington are approximately 60 miles apart and both tell the story of Civil War to civil rights. Booker T. Washington National Monument preserves the plantation where Washington was born into slavery in 1856 and lived until he and his family were emancipated at the end of the Civil War in 1865. He is known as an educator who guided the Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University, as well as an orator, author and leader in the African-American community.