Executive Leader

Dr. Valdes J. Snipes has over 30 years working in the fields of Aging, faith-based community action and developmental disabilities/ Intellectual Challenges.  She has held leadership and executive management positions, managing program budgets up to 50 million. Positions held are: Director of Employment Program with United Services for Older Adults; Program Officer/Training Coordinator and Director of Senior Community Service Employment (SEE) Program with Senior Service America (SSAI);  Deputy Director of Workforce Development and Initiatives with the National Council on Aging (NCOA); Executive Administrator for Second District AME Church; and Director of  Day Programs with Empowering People with Intellectual Challenges (EPIC); and currently, Senior Pastor of Mt. Zion AME Church.

Dr. Snipes serves on the Board of Director of PEACE Theological Seminary, where she serves as Vice-President, Dean and professor of Biblical studies, leadership, and church administration.   Dr. Snipes is the Second Episcopal District (SED) Women in Ministry (WIM) Second Vice-President.  She is an instructor for the Washington Conference Board of Examiners (BOE) and a member of the Washington Conference Church Growth and Development, Disaster Relief committee, and the Legislative committee.  Dr. Snipes is the President of the AME Ministerial Alliance of Washington DC and Vicinity.  

Dr. Snipes has earned degrees and certificates in the following: BA degree in Gerontology, High Point University; Certificates in Gerontology, Livingston College and North Carolina A & T University; Master Public Administration (MPA) specializing in Gerontology and Counseling, North Carolina Central University; Master’s in divinity (MDiv), Howard University School of Divinity; and, PhD in Organization and Management, specializing in Leadership, Capella University.

Dr. Snipes has traveled extensively across the US advocating for older adults and providing leadership and training in the areas of organizational management, employment and training, and advocacy for people with developmental disabilities and intellectual challenges.