Placer County Hires New Economic Director

David Snyder hired to post

A state economic development official with many years of experience helping recruit companies for California has been named Placer County’s director of economic development.

David Snyder currently is a senior project manager with California Business Investment Services, a unit of the state Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

He will replace Ed Graves, who retired in February after serving as county economic development director since 1994.

Snyder has been with state Business Investment Services since 2003 and has spent the last 16 years in state service. In 2002, he worked as a supervisory staff development specialist in the state Office of Military Base Retention and Reuse and, from 1995-2001, he was deputy director at the Office of Major Corporate Projects, a part of the California Trade and Commerce Agency.

‘David’s experience at both the state and local levels will be invaluable to Placer County,’ County Executive Officer Thomas M. Miller said. 

‘His contacts throughout the business world will help us attract the kinds of companies we need to provide high-quality jobs for our rapidly growing population and to maintain our high quality of life. Placer County”s Office of Economic Development is recognized statewide for its outstanding work. I’m convinced David will maintain, and indeed reinforce that reputation.’

A Folsom resident, Snyder has worked in the economic development field since he graduated from Rutgers University in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in planning and community development. Most of his experience is at the state level, but his resume includes seven years at the county level, one with a city and three with private-sector real estate development companies.

‘I look forward with great anticipation to joining the Placer County economic development team,’ Snyder said. ‘The top requirements for business today are human resources and the environment for employees. Placer County offers growing companies and their employees an unsurpassed environment in which to live and work.’

Snyder earned the title certified economic developer in 1984 by completing a program offered at the Graduate Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma.