INDIANAPOLIS — Indy Pride announced Shelly Snider has officially taken over as the organization's executive director on Monday.
Born and raised in Indianapolis, Snider previously served as the assistant director of career services at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at the Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI). She worked in this role for nearly ten years.
According to Indy Pride, Snider has been involved with the organization and several LGBTQ-related advocacy efforts for over 15 years. She has served as a board member for Indy Pride, the first and third president of Pride of Indy Bands, and the LGBTQ Faculty Staff Council chair at IUPUI.
Jenny Boyts, the president of Indy Pride's Board of Directors, shared the following statement announcing Snider in her new position in an emailed release:
“As we enter this next phase of Indy Pride’s evolution, I know Shelly will lead this organization into our collective vision of creating inclusive, equitable, and joyful opportunities for the Indianapolis queer community to learn, celebrate, and grow alongside one another in 2022 and beyond.”
Indy Pride states Snider looks forward to using her event management and professional development experience to ensure the LGBTQ community in Indianapolis feels connected.
“I recognize that LGBTQ+ individuals living in Indiana have a lot to navigate. Some of them might be discovering who they are for the first time, some might be facing discrimination, harassment, or bias, some are working through internalized homophobia or feelings of shame if their families do not embrace who they are. These issues may be intensified if they are a person of color, trans or disabled," Snider wrote. “In my new role, I will work to ensure that Indy Pride is being intentional about intersectionality by creating experiences and connecting people to resources so that they know they are not alone.”
The announcement comes six months after Chris Handberg resigned from the position.
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