Impact as Owner of the Washington Football Team
Daniel Snyder has had an impressive tenure of 20 seasons as the owner of the Washington Football Team (formerly known as the Redskins) since he purchased the team in 1999. While the organization has cultivated 27 players who played in a combined 53 Pro Bowl games, Daniel Snyder has been especially credited with revolutionizing the fan experience at FedExField in Landover, Md. Under Dan Snyder’s innovative vision and leadership, fans of the Washington Football Team have enjoyed the stadium improvements made possible from the $100 million in enhancements spearheaded by Snyder. Some of the most noticeable improvements to FedExField in terms of guest experience include expanded wifi access, additional guest entrances, more parking spots, highly visible flat-screen televisions, improved luxury suites and high-definition score displays.
As a result of his dedication to his football team and involvement in sports throughout the D.C. area, Daniel Snyder was inducted into the Greater Washington Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Leadership and Recognition Within the NFL
The significant contributions that Dan Snyder has made to the success of the Washington Football organization are widely recognized within the National Football League and earned him exclusive positions on several leadership committees. With his penchant for media strategy, business development and fundraising, Snyder helped elevate and maintain the Washington Football Team’s position as one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world. As such, Snyder has been appointed to the following committees within the NFL.
- Media Committee
- Digital Media Committee
- Business Ventures Committee
- International Committee
- Stadium Committee
- Hall of Fame Committee
He is also affiliated with the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the distinguished Board of Trustees.
Community Outreach and Philanthropic Initiatives
In addition to Dan Snyder’s many achievements through the Washington Football Team and his other successful business ventures, he is also renowned as a community leader and philanthropist in the D.C. area. In 2000, Snyder established the Washington Charitable Foundation to raise money for youth initiatives and community development throughout Washington, D.C. The organization has donated more than $29 million over the past 20 years to important community outreach programs involving health, wellness, education and homelessness. In recognition of Snyder’s longstanding commitment to community outreach, he received the Youth For Tomorrow’s Distinguished Leader Award from Beacon House in 2010.
Snyder’s passion for philanthropy and helping others extends beyond his hometown. Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew in the Caribbean in 2016, Snyder moved quickly to collect, transport and distribute life-saving supplies to people in need. He organized and participated in several other major humanitarian efforts during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 as well as the destruction left behind from the 2004 tsunamis in Indonesia and Thailand.
Social activism is very important to Snyder. After the murder of George Floyd, Snyder personally donated $250,000 to raise awareness about social injustice in the D.C. area. He was also personally involved in helping with fundraising efforts to restore the Ashburn Colored School in Loudoun County, which served Black children through 1957, to the tune of $35,000.
He honored and highlighted the contributions of veterans and their families by creating Salute, a club through the Washington Football Team to promote veteran outreach and appreciation initiatives at home games. Snyder helped fund the construction of a disabled veteran’s home through the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2016.
Professional Background in Business Ventures
Snyder’s business acumen was honed long before he took over as owner of the Washington Football Team. In 1985, he founded and served as CEO of Snyder Communications, Inc., which earned Snyder the distinction of being the youngest CEO of a company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. During Snyder’s time at the company, he grew it into a $1 billion organization with more than 12,000 employees and office locations across 17 different countries. It specialized in providing business and marketing services to Fortune 500 companies. When he sold the company in 2000, he was responsible for closing the largest merger of an advertising or marketing firm for a purchase price of $2.3 billion.
His media prowess led to Snyder founding and serving as the Managing Member of the Board of Directors for Red Zebra Broadcasting, LLC. The company owns several successful radio stations in the D.C. metropolitan area, including those that broadcast the Washington Football games.
He also founded inVentiv Health and remains an active advisor and investor in a variety of companies across a broad range of industries. In light of Snyder’s respected reputation in the sports and business fields, he is frequently sought after as a featured speaker or commentator for high-profile conferences, seminars, conventions and media programs.
Learn more about Dan Snyder: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/daniel-snyder
