Lincoln Snyder

Lincoln Snyder is an experienced educator and school system leader pursuing his PhD in the German Department at Georgetown University with a focus on Second Language Acquisition. Lincoln holds a bachelor’s degree in international politics from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, with a certificate in German and European Studies, as well as a master’s degree in Lasallian Leadership from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Lincoln worked as a teacher of German and school board chair at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, California, and went on to serve as the Superintendent and Executive Director of Schools for the Diocese of Sacramento from 2015 to 2021. As superintendent, he stewarded schools through the Camp Fire and the COVID-19 pandemic. Lincoln was then selected to lead the revitalization of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) as President and CEO, where he served from 2021-2024. In addition to his career in education, Lincoln applied his German extensively while working in international business for Can Pack SA in Krakow, Poland.

Lincoln teaches German at Georgetown and is researching study abroad and immersion programs; program evaluation; and less-commonly-taught languages, including Pennsylvania Dutch and Yiddish. Other areas of professional interest include philology writ large; curricular standards and assessment; teacher and school leader preparation; school mission discernment; and school governance. He also serves at the board treasurer of Historic Germanna, a public humanities and genealogical organization in Locust Grove, VA. Originally from California and proud to be an adopted resident of Gdansk, Poland, Lincoln lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and their three sons. When he is not working, Lincoln enjoys 20-mile walks and learning new languages.

Curriculum Vitae

Lincoln Snyder

6412 24th St. N, Arlington VA 22207

916 805 7788 – lincoln@hansaco.com

EDUCATION 

Georgetown University, Doctoral Student, Doctor of Philosophy in German, focus in second language acquisition, August 2024 – present. Taught German courses per the Georgetown curriculum. Research areas: Study abroad, immersion programs, program evaluation, minority languages.

Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, BSFS. Major: International Politics, with a focus in Foreign Policy Process, Certificate in German and European Studies. Graduated cum laude. Recipient of Gawaina Dickinson Luster Prize. Year abroad in Vienna, Austria. Summer program in Trier, Germany. 

St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, M.A. in Lasallian Leadership.  Thesis topic: Hiring for Mission. Completed in conjunction with the Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies, an intensive 3-year program of the De La Salle Christian Brothers forming lay partners for teaching and leadership in Catholic schools.

Boston College Lynch School of Education, Bilingual Education Certificate. 

University of Maine at Presque Isle, B.A.B.A., Marketing Concentration. 

Fluent in German and Polish; conversational Yiddish, Dutch, Pennsylvania Dutch. Basic Spanish, Afrikaans, Norwegian.

EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION

Interim Superintendent of Schools; Associate for Special Projects, Catholic Diocese of San Jose.

• Served as interim superintendent during a critical transition period. 
• Focused on stabilizing operations and identifying major threats and opportunities. 
• Implemented new training and processes for Directors of Enrollment and Marketing. 
• Led an effort to review and reform a challenged implementation of standards-based grading. 
• Conducted feasibility studies for five schools with low enrollment.  
• Provided for a clean handoff to a permanent superintendent. 

President/CEO, National Catholic Educational Association. 

Selected to lead a revitalization of the association coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and returned the organization to fiscal stability and growth, along with significant growth in member service.

• NCEA is the nation’s largest private educational association, with over 130,000 members representing 5,900 schools serving 1,700,000 students from preschool through 12th grade.  
• NCEA supports Catholic education in the areas of data and research; national standards; public policy; professional development and convening; publications; assessment; and PLCs.
• Oversaw a staff of 25 and a budget of $6,000,000, operating primarily as a virtual team
• Grew revenue 20% through emphasis on member service, sound business practices, partner relationships, relevant content for members, and data collection and research.
• Helped author and launch a new strategic plan for the organization. 
• Created a Content Map to guide PD; themes include learning recovery, evolving communities.
• Stewarded the return to profitable in-person events and conventions, including the nation’s largest Catholic school convention (NCEA), and an annual superintendent gathering (CLS). 
• Regularly presented and wrote on a variety of topics in the educational field, including governance, school marketing, multicultural schools, learning recovery, and public policy. 

Executive Director and Superintendent of Schools, Catholic Diocese of Sacramento. 

• Transitioned Diocesan elementary schools to a unified governance model under three regional school boards. 34 of 36 elementary schools operate under this model. 
• Implemented significant new shared infrastructure for all elementary schools, including a common tuition management system, student information system, and accounting system.
• Led the implementation of a Dual Language Immersion program at St. Philomene School, Sacramento, in collaboration with the TWIN-CS network, Roche Center, Boston College. The school operates on a Spanish-English 50:50 two-way immersion model from TK-8th grade.
• Led a move to Standards-Referenced Assessment across all grade levels and subjects, K-8. The project lasted approximately 4 years, with PD provided internally and by Marzano Resources.
• Created and led a team of Elementary School Advancement Directors. 
• Led the Catholic school community through the 2020-2021 Covid-19 pandemic. 
• Honoree, NCEA Lead. Learn. Proclaim. Award, 2019, for leadership in offering a free Catholic education to students displaced by the Camp Fire.

Teacher, Christian Brothers HS, Sacramento. German, Social Studies, Rhetoric. 

BUSINESS EXPERIENCE

Can-Pack SA, Krakow, Poland.

• Deputy Director of Sales: Managed sales in Germany, Austria, Benelux, and Middle Eastern markets. Used German daily in the course of business, working with some of the largest breweries and soft drink producers in the German-speaking markets. Key Account Manager for Pepsi Cola, Coca-Cola, and Anheuser-Busch globally, with clients from New York to New Delhi. Opened new geographies for the company and increased sales volume two to fourfold with Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Negotiated contracts up to EUR 80,000,000 in value. 
• Assistant to the CEO, Special Projects: Directed feasibility and market studies for new factories in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the Near and Middle East. The studies included market and investment studies, as well as multi-year budgets for complex operations. Can-Pack used those studies as the basis for investing over $200,000,000 in new factories in those countries.

Snyder Commercial Real Estate, Sacramento, CA.

• Vice President: Development, management, leasing, and sales of commercial real estate. Responsible for budgeting, marketing, company bookkeeping, property management, and lender, tenant, and vendor relationships. Management of numerous retail, industrial, office, and multifamily properties during the Great Recession, seeing partners through a difficult market. 

EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNANCE AND POLICY

Board Member and Treasurer, Historic Germanna (Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Inc.), Locust Grove, VA, 2023 – present. Member of the Executive and Strategic Planning Committees.

Vice Chair, Council for American Private Education (CAPE), 2021 – 2024. 

Consultant, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Committee on Catholic Education, 2021 – 2024. 

Chair, California Catholic School Superintendents Conference, 2019 – 2021; Vice chair, 2016 – 2019. 

Trustee, Christian Brothers High School Board of Trustees, 2008-2015.  Chair, 2013-2014; Vice-Chair, 2011-2013.  Participant in the Lasallian District’s Association of Board Chairs, 2011-2014.  

Trustee, De La Salle High School, New Orleans, LA, 2015-2021.

Member, Policy Committee, California Association of Private School Organizations, 2015 – 2021. 

Born in San Jose, CA. U.S./Polish dual citizen. Husband of Agnieszka Snyder, Ph.D. BCBA. Parents of Benjamin, Kuba, and Cornel, whom we have raised bilingually. Linguaphile, librophile, wayfarer.