Former Warren County school administrator named VSU Alumnus of the Year

Henderson (N.C.) Daily Dispatch
·2 min read

Dennis Mathiel Snead — a two-time alumnus of Virginia State University, earning a music degree in 1980 and an educational administration and supervision degree in 2000 — was named Alumnus of the Year by the Virginia State University Alumni Association.

Raised rural Southside Virginia, Snead accumulated a village of mentees, friends and supporters before retiring with nearly 40 years of service as an educator, including to Warren County.

A charter member of the Greater Triangle Area Chapter of the Virginia State University Alumni Association, he currently serves as its president. Snead is a life member of the Virginia State University Alumni Association, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Kappa Kappa Psi Band Fraternity. He is also a member of the VSUAA- Alumni Band Association Chapter and the Trojan Explosion Band Boosters.

An avid supporter of the Virginia State University Alumni Association, Snead’s commitment to the university has been evident since his graduation in 1980. He also serves as co-chairperson of the VSUAA Membership Committee and the VSUAA Chapter Presidents Forum. As a result of his engagement, innovative strategies, and leadership, the VSUAA currently enjoys the largest membership in the history of the association.

As an educator, he recruited numerous students to the university. In his capacity as a band director for the Lunenburg County Public School System, his band was consistently recognized with superior ratings during the Virginia Association of Music Educators Concert Festivals.

Additionally, his band was selected as a participant in the Inauguration Parade for former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, the first African American governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. They were also the first runner-up to represent Virginia for the inauguration of former U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton.

As an administrator, Snead served the Warren County Public School System at all levels. He also holds membership in the Phi Delta Kappa International Educator Honor Society and the Pi Lambda Theta Honor Society. He has received several commendations as an educator including consecutive presidential citations from the Governor’s School for the Visual and Performing Arts.

“Be the change you want to see” and “Obstacles become opportunities under my watch,” Snead often quotes these personal mantras. He further believes that “Each one should reach one.”