Meet Rani Snyder, a leading expert on dealing with the problems of aging | Column
Brunswick native Rani Snyder leads a $28 million grant‑making foundation that is reshaping how the nation cares for older adults
BRUNSWICK, Maine – In January 2026, a 44‑year‑old Brunswick woman returned to the helm of the John A. Hartford Foundation, a New York City‑based nonprofit that gives away roughly $28 million each year to research and programs that improve the lives of older people. Rani Snyder, whose career has spanned academia, public‑service policy and nonprofit management, is now the foundation’s president and a prominent voice on aging policy across the country.
Snyder’s path to the foundation’s top job began in the small town she grew up in. She graduated from Brunswick High School, where she was an avid swimmer on the Long Reach Swim Club team, and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. After a brief stint in New York City as a temp worker, she landed her first full‑time role at the Hartford Foundation in the late 1990s. “I could see that bright minds were needed to address the burgeoning growth of the older population,” she says.
She has since earned a Master of Public Administration in health policy from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School and completed a Ph.D. (ABD) in health services at the University of California, Los Angeles. While at UCLA, she was twice named Teaching Assistant of the Year by her students, a testament to her leadership and mentorship.
After a period working for two health‑related organizations in Las Vegas, Snyder returned to the Hartford Foundation in March 2016 as a “second tour.” She rose through the ranks, taking on increasing responsibility until she was appointed president in January 2026.
A focus on aging that matters
The foundation, founded in 1929, concentrates its grant‑making on three priorities: creating age‑friendly health systems; supporting family caregivers; and improving care for serious illness and end‑of‑life decisions. In fiscal 2026, it awarded more than $9.5 million in two high‑profile projects, including $2.3 million to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for a “Hospital at Home” scaling initiative and $7.3 million to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement for the Age‑Friendly Health Systems Movement.
“We want to make sure that the grants we make provide lasting outcomes for the future,” Snyder explained. “Sustainability is the foundation’s biggest challenge.” She also warned that potential cuts to Medicaid and Medicare could erode the gains the foundation has helped create, noting that “every person deserves access to healthcare, and ageism magnifies the problems of the inequities in our population.”
Beyond grant‑making, Snyder has written scholarly articles, appeared on podcasts and contributed to book chapters on aging. She remains an active member of her Mid‑Coast community, serving on the Elder and Home Care Committee of Mid Coast Parkview Health and MaineHealth.
A life that reflects her message
Snyder’s family echoes her commitment to public service. Her husband, Larry, teaches in local schools; her son Zane works at the National Academy of Social Insurance in Washington, D.C.; and her daughter Calissa is a student at Brown University.
“Older people have valuable wisdom to share,” she says. “We must all remember that older people can be a boon to society, not just a burden.”
When asked whether those who dismiss the importance of aging care should worry, Snyder replied, “At some point, sooner or later, aging will affect you. We have to get this right.”
Snyder’s leadership of the Hartford Foundation underscores a growing national conversation about how best to support an aging population while ensuring that the systems that care for them are both effective and equitable. As she brings her Brunswick roots and policy expertise to the role, Maine and the rest of the country watch closely to see how her vision will shape the future of older‑adult care.
