Alumni

2000 Distinguished Alumni Award

William Hamman and Donald Snyder

The outstanding accomplishments of William Hamman and Donald Snyder were recognized Saturday, May 6 when they were presented the Western Illinois University Distinguished Alumni Award.

The Distinguished Alumni Award, given since 1973, recognizes alumni who have reached the pinnacle of their careers and have brought credit to the University and themselves through their professional accomplishments or community service at local, state, or national levels and extended meritorious service for the advancement and continued excellence of WIU.

Hamman, a 1963 education graduate and Nauvoo native, is the president of education services for Sodexho Marriott in Altamonte Springs, FL, a position he has held since 1998. He is also the executive vice president of Sodexho Marriott Services. Prior to being appointed president and executive vice president Hamman served as the president of Marriott Education Services and corporate officer for Marriott International. He has also worked as division vice president, and held a variety of vice president positions for Saga Corporation. Hamman began his food services career with Saga as a student manager while pursuing his bachelor's degree.

Hamman is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, the National Association of College Auxiliary Services and the National Restaurant Association.

He is also active in the Rollins College Roy E. Crummer Graduate School of Business Corporate Council, the University of Central Florida President's Circle, Orlando's Marriott Corporate Business Council and the Western Illinois University Foundation Board of Trustees.

Snyder, a 1977 law enforcement administration graduate, is the director of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) in Springfield. He was appointed to this post by Gov. George Ryan in January 1999. As director, Snyder oversees operations of 26 adult prisons, three prisons under design or construction, 10 work camps and three boot camps, seven juvenile facilities, a juvenile boot camp, 11 community correctional centers and community supervision of adults and juveniles who have completed terms of incarceration. More than 43,000 adults are incarcerated, making Illinois one of the largest prison systems in the nation.

Prior to being named director, Snyder was the deputy director of the administrative services division in the IDOC. From 1991 to 1995, he was the manager of the Fugitive Apprehension Unit, coordinating agency interaction with the U.S. Marshal's Service and other federal agencies. He began his career with the IDOC in 1987 as a corrections detention specialist. At age 23 in 1978, Snyder was elected Pike County Sheriff, becoming the youngest sheriff in Illinois history. He has served as the Pike County coroner, Pike County deputy sheriff and Barry police chief.

He is a member of the Illinois Sheriff's Association, the Illinois Correctional Association and the American Correctional Association.