Ken Snyder

Ken Snyder is a principal and co-founder of SnyderPickerill Media Group, a political media firm that specializes in the production of television advertising for political campaigns and candidates. Snyder was formerly a prominent press secretary and public relations manager. He is best known for his work with Democrats, including John F. Street, Ed Rendell, and Vince Fumo.

He earned a master's degree from Loyola University Chicago and pursued a Ph.D. at University of Wisconsin. He then returned to work in the private sector.

In 2009, he was hired by the Governor to serve as communications employee charged with publicizing the state's take of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The controversial hiring, which appeared to violate Rendell's well-publicized state hiring freeze during the 2009 Pennsylvania budget impasse, was questioned by government reform advocates, including Eric Epstein. Later in 2009, he took on an expanded portfolio as interim press secretary with the departure of Chuck Ardo, Rendell's long-time press secretary. Overall, PoliticsPA called him "One of the best political press secretaries in the state."

In 2010, Politics Magazine named him one of the most influential Democrats in Pennsylvania.

In July 2010, Snyder and fellow political consultant Terrie Pickerill formed SnyderPickerill Media Group. They met while working for David Axelrod on John Schmidt's unsuccessful 1997 gubernatorial campaign, and both cite him as a mentor. Snyder's commercials for Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez were deemed "brilliant" by the Reader's Mick Dumke, and a reason Alvarez, a political unknown, was able to win her race in 2008.