Who We Are
Our Founders
Jay Snyder, a prominent American businessman, philanthropist, and public servant, is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Open Hands Initiative. Mr. Snyder has been active in community and public service for a number of years, acting on various boards and committees of major non-profit organizations, as well as serving as a member of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. Mr. Snyder also currently works in private equity investments as a principal of HBJ Investments LLC.
Tracy Snyder, is a Co-Founder & Advisory Board Member.
Read a message from our cofounders about their inspiration for starting the Open Hands Initiative.
Our Staff
Meredith Dewitt, Executive Director
As the Executive Director of the Open Hands Initiative, Meredith DeWitt provides strategic counsel, management, and leadership across all aspects of the organization. Since forming her firm, Meredith J Dewitt Consulting in 2004, Mrs. Dewitt has advised national political committees and candidates on fundraising strategy and has worked with an impressive roster of private individuals in managing their philanthropic interests as they seek to make a difference in their communities.
Tara Trombetta, Special Assistant to the Chairman
Tara Trombetta serves as the Special Assistant to the Chairman for the Open Hands Initiative, providing a range of administrative and programmatic support to the chairman and the organization. She holds a Master's degree in Global Affairs from New York University, where she specialized in transnational security and the Middle East. She is also a graduate of CUNY (BA, Spanish and Multilingual Journalism), and speaks Spanish, French, Turkish, and Arabic.
Advisory Board Members
To help support and guide our mission successfully, we have established an Advisory Board consisting of internationally renowned experts in the fields of public diplomacy, private philanthropy, health, disability, education, business, and international cultures. Click below for individual biographies of our board members, or see an overview of the Advisory Board.
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