Snyder named new state AARP President

PALMER — Given her background in tourism, travel and hospitality, it should come as no surprise that Mat-Su Valley resident Terry Snyder has just earned a “top volunteer role” with a senior advocacy group in Alaska.

AARP Alaska State Director Ken Osterkamp announced Snyder’s appointment as the AARP State President by the organization’s West Region Volunteer Director, Carlos Brandenburg, in a press release Feb. 3.

“This is a great fit for AARP,” Osterkamp said in the release. “We really appreciate the passion Terry has for helping her fellow Alaskans. She recognizes the importance of what we are working on for our 86,000 members, including preserving Social Security and Medicare, financial security and expanding Medicaid.”

Snyder said AARP is “a good match” for her, for several reasons.

As a member of the organization previously, Snyder said she familiarized herself with its services and focus, and they seemed to coincide with work she was already doing, too.

“Part of getting older is, you start to look at, you know, what your legacy is and how you can give back to your community,” she said.

In addition to her 20 years of experience as a travel consultant and as human resources director, Snyder co-owned and operated Big Lake Lodge for a few years, organized Smoke Free Palmer, worked on school bond campaigns and elections, and worked with the Mat-Su Borough’s Real Property Asset Management Board, Salaries and Emoluments Board, and the Big Lake Community Council. She also works with American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network as the local coordinator for Smoke Free Workplaces, and regularly attends borough assembly and school board meetings.

She did all this while raising her children.

“I’m a very social person. So it gave me the ability to meet new people and not have any reservations about talking to someone else or learning from other people,” Snyder said, of her previous work experience.

But what will help her most in her new position, she said, is her 40 years in Alaska.

“I think that’s really helpful to know that (Alaska) background. It gives you a little more insight, and I hope that I can bring that to AARP,” Snyder said.

Snyder grew up in Ashland, Oregon, but has since made Alaska her home. As someone who has now lived in the state a long time and worked jobs in which many diverse connections are made, she said she knows many people who are AARP members — and she knows what they need.

“I think everybody I’ve told that I’m state president says, ‘oh, those guys, I don’t know how I’d get my taxes done if it wasn’t for (AARP),’” Snyder said.

Obtaining car insurance is another AARP service many seniors appreciate, she said.

Osterkamp noted that not all AARP members are as “old” as the word "senior" implies. Formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, AARP now leaves membership open to those as young as 50. As such, many members are still working and need different types of assistance, which may not currently be covered.

Also, many of Alaska’s working members commute to Anchorage from the Valley.

“The Mat-Su area is what we call our community of focus,” Osterkamp said. “Every state has one community of focus that they want to do extra work and put extra resources into, and for us that’s the Mat-Su.”

The main state AARP office is in Anchorage, however, so having a volunteer based in Palmer is helpful.

According to Osterkamp, the Valley has the fastest growing senior population in the state, and Alaska has the fastest growing senior population in the country.

According to Snyder, that’s because people often come to Alaska alone or with one other person, and they stay.

“There are so many people up here without family that your friends become your family,” she said. “I think people have that independent streak up here but they also, you know, everybody wants family.”

In addition to family — whether consisting of friends or blood relatives — the Permanent Fund Dividend and the recently amended property tax exemption for Mat-Su Borough seniors are two major reasons for people to stay in Southcentral Alaska.

For seniors who are on fixed budgets, Snyder said, those are “pretty nice perks.”

“There are a lot of incentives to live in Alaska,” she said.

But sometimes, older residents stay out of necessity. Many grandparents are raising grandchildren these days, Snyder said, causing them to stay in the workforce “longer than they envisioned,” and spending money more than they are able.

“There’s been a fair amount of uncertainty, financial uncertainty in our country for a while, and that makes people more reluctant to let go of what’s solid and what they know about,” she said.

Which is why she’s happy to be flying to Washington, D.C., next month for the state presidents’ orientation, where she will be able to gather ideas on how to best serve Alaskans.

“I’m really looking forward to interacting with those other state presidents and finding out what’s working (well) in their communities and sharing in that experience, learning from it,” Snyder said. “I think that’s gonna be a huge opportunity.”

She also plans to work with local politicians on improving quality of life for seniors.

“I think Alaska is very, very lucky in that most of our politicians, no matter what side of the aisle they’re on, are very aware and sensitive to subjects that are important to seniors, and I think they’re always happy to talk about those things,” Snyder said.

For all Alaskans, she said, education is key.

“I think just about any issue out there can be solved if there’s enough education about it,” she said.

But sometimes, perhaps, a little kindness can also go a long way for change.

“I think if you’re just kind to everybody, you pretty much can get in every door,” she said.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.