Brian Snyder has been FREED’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the last five years. Before that, he was FREED’s Disability Community Advocate. FREED is a Nevada County non-profit resource center for older adults and people with disabilities. Before being hired at FREED, Brian worked on a master’s degree in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation. He also founded a non-profit multimedia production organization producing two web-based episodes of the American Unity Project, featuring former US Army Captain, West Point Graduate, Iraq War Veteran, author, and founder of the Peace Literacy Institute, Paul K. Chappell. Brian received his BFA in Acting from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and his MFA in directing from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television. After graduating from UCLA, he worked in the entertainment industry as a project manager for several years before losing his ability to drive. Brian has a rare genetic degenerative disease called Usher syndrome – Type 2A. He is blind and has minor hearing loss. Brian is now working on a dual-emphasis master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and Professional Clinical Counseling. After graduation, he hopes to serve our community as a Nevada County Behavioral Health counselor and eventually offer probono psychotherapy sessions for people with disabilities in his private practice. Brian was born in Grass Valley, and his family has roots in Nevada County, going back to the 1930s when his grandfather and great-uncles worked in the Empire Mine. Brian, his wife, son, and guide dog, Burnie (a Yellow Lab) live in Grass Valley.