Donna Snyder, the much-loved VP for marketing and advertising at East Penn Manufacturing stepped down on Wednesday after 42 years with the company. Joel Brady, also a heavyweight veteran of East Penn, will take over from her.

Donna started at the battery major in October 1983 as a graphic designer and rose through the ranks ending up as a director of marketing in the 1990s and finally becoming VP for marketing and advertising in 2006.

“I knew within the first year of working here that this was where I wanted to be,” she told Batteries International on the eve of her retirement. “There’s a family feel that I felt almost from the beginning and that’s continued to the present day,

“I would say I’ve had the best job in the world, from leading a team of 25 people in all aspects of our business. It’s huge. From developing strategic marketing plans and campaigns, to executing them, to developing relationships with customers as well as all the other departments in the firm. To be able to look at issues such as sustainability and the environment to make the company relevant to the future … to focus on communication efforts for government and regulatory initiatives and much more.

“I’ve had a fascinating career but it’s also all about the people you work with and the relationships you form. I’ve worked with some great people and forged some great friendships which I will take with me into retirement.”

Donna’s profile statement says a lot about her own view of the world, a perspective shaped by her faith, she is a former church board member and Sunday School teacher, and meditation. In this she writes: “Success in life should be defined by the people you have positively affected and your contributions to creating a better world.”

Pete Stanislawczyk, CEO of East Penn paid tribute to her achievements: “Under Donna’s leadership, the Marketing and Advertising department grew into a dynamic team of over 25 professionals, driving initiatives in category management, research, promotions, digital strategy, and communications.

“She championed innovation, built strong supplier partnerships, and guided strategic marketing plans that positioned East Penn for continued success in a competitive global industry.

Her influence extended beyond the company through active.

participation in industry organizations. She served as a founding member of Women in Global Battery Industry (WGBI), chaired several Battery Council International Committees, and contributed to numerous initiatives promoting education, sustainability, and collaboration.”

Chris Pruitt, former CEO of East Penn and who worked closely with Donna for some two decades told Batteries International: “When you think of Donna you find someone who was totally committed to the industry and East Penn. But she was much more than that.

She was thoughtful, kind, caring, creative and supportive. She never ran away from tough issues and always remained cool and calm under pressure. She was, and is, unbelievable from both a personal and professional viewpoint.”

Joel Brady, who has worked with Donna for a long time and joined East Penn 28 years ago, paid tribute to her genuineness as a person and a professional. “These are big shoes I have to fill.

Donna has been a wonderful mentor to myself and others. She epitomized a style of servant leadership making her a role model to follow.

“In particular she was inspirational to women and helped create the atmosphere and culture for women to succeed,” he told Batteries International.

Donna says that she won’t be severing her ties completely with East Penn. “There is certain to be ways that I can help in the future but for the moment I want to do some more travelling with Skip [the husband she first met in 1981] and seeing my family elsewhere. And, of course both of us are jazz enthusiasts so I’m already looking forward to the Berks County Jazz Fest next year.”
After her four decades of service to the firm and battery industry, how does she see things changing?

“At the moment the whole battery business is changing more rapidly than ever. Covid triggered much of what we see today — the pace of technology is advancing farther all the time. It’s getting more deeply embodied in our lives.

“When I started there were no computers worth speaking of, or word processors, it would take more than a decade before they became routine. The internet didn’t exist but has, for the last 20 or so years, dominated the way we work.
“Ahead of us we see AI going to reshape our futures too and that is going to affect everything from the way that we manufacture batteries to the way we interact with customers though some of the constants — our relationships — will remain as vital as ever.”
Mike Halls, the publisher of Batteries International and someone who has known Donna for almost two decades said: “Along with the rest of the industry I wish you a happy retirement, it has been a pleasure and privilege to work with you, and I look forward to keeping in touch.”