The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Nathan K. during the 2008-2009 League.

Mission: Action - Interview a Local Leader #2

Brad Snavely

As executive director of Michigan Family Forum, Brad Snavely is a man with many talents and is extremely gifted in his field of work. A native of Big Rapids, Michigan, Snavely has a bachelor's degree from Hope College. Brad and his wife Kelle have been married for more than 20 years and they have five children. Mr. Snavely has worked in and around the state Capitol for two decades and has been involved with Michigan Family Form for about 12 of those years. With this extensive experience, he is known as a man of his word. That is an increasingly rare thing in government.

Michigan Family Forum is a Lansing-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit education and research organization funded by tax-deductible donations. The group's purpose is to stimulate cultural renewal by strengthening Michigan families through public advocacy, education and collaboration.

MFF believes marriage yields significant dividends. Children of intact marriages tend to engage in risky behavior less frequently, do better in school and have better mental and physical health than children from broken or never formed marriages. Adults who are married tend to enjoy better mental and physical health and accumulate more wealth and engage in risky or illegal behavior less often then unmarried adults.

"Our public policy must actively work to help couples choose and succeed in building strong marriages," Snavely said. MFF accomplishes its mission by aggressively promoting a legislative agenda and providing thoughtful, cutting-edge research.

When asked what we likes most about his job, Snavely’s answer was simple. "My work is very rewarding at times, but it can also be extremely discouraging," he said. "What we do is work with legislators to create laws that will help protect the rights of families (children and their parents). It is truly rewarding to fight for the rights of children and their families, and win!"

However, Snavely's job is not without difficulties, or aspects that he doesn't enjoy. One of them is securing funds. He said that "raising money is something I've always had a dislike for; it is part of my job and I do it, but I do not enjoy doing it."

Snavely said MFF focuses on four major areas: strengthening marriage, honoring elders, protecting children, and promoting responsible fatherhood. "All children deserve a loving father who is actively engage in their life," he said. "Sadly, many children do hot have such fathers. Some states are working to remedy these dilemmas in order to reconnect fathers with their children. Michigan should follow the lead of these other states and help men become responsible fathers for their children."

Snavely said educating children at home has its merits. "I think homeschooling is a wonderful thing. I homeschool my children, but I do believe that it's not for everybody," he said. "Educating your children at home is a task that has many hardships and takes a LOT of perseverance as well as patience. Home-schooling your children also has many benefits and you have the ability to teach them at their own pace."

Snavely's faith has played a large role in not only in his personal life but also in his work in Lansing. "My faith in God has guided me my entire life, influencing my decisions, both in my personal life and at work," he said. "I've been a Christian since my childhood, my wife and kids are also Christians. I am not religious just for the sake of being religious, it's my way of life."

When asked what advice he would give to someone who was trying to enter a similar field of work, Snavely emphasized the importance of meaningful goals. "You need to have a dream or a vision of what you want to accomplish with your life," he said. "Then you need to take that vision and to act on it. Begin by making goals that will help you to achieve that vision. Some of these goals might be interning in Lansing, or completing a college degree. A vision for your life does you no good unless you act upon it."

Thankfully for the people of Michigan, Brad Snavely has a vision for the future and is sharing it with all of us.