CLEARFIELD – Clearfield County Coroner Kim Shaffer Snyder has announced her intentions to run for reelection in the 2023 municipal election.
Shaffer Snyder, who won election to the position in 2019, has nearly 30 years’ experience as coroner and deputy coroner in both Clearfield and Jefferson counties. She is seeking the Republican nomination.
“My first three years as Clearfield County’s coroner have been a seamless transition from my time as acting coroner,” Shaffer Snyder said.
“The volume of work for my team has increased yearly. Our office provides many other services in addition to investigating all deaths that occur in Clearfield County.”
Specifically, coroners are responsible for conducting investigations to determine cause and manner of death. Their work requires them to be on call 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.
Coroners are called upon to direct the activities of a number of forensic professionals, including investigators, forensic pathologists, toxicologists, forensic technicians and physicians.
In addition to these services, coroners also provide authorization for all cremations for deaths that occur in the county, as well as receiving and reviewing reports on hospice and healthcare facility deaths that occur.
Since being elected, Shaffer Snyder has received and reviewed 1,923 cremation authorizations and 1,600 hospice and healthcare facility deaths.
Over the first three years as Clearfield County Coroner, Shaffer Snyder and her team have investigated a total of 913 deaths, including 650 natural deaths, 205 accidental deaths, 49 suicides and five homicides.
In that same timeframe, there have been 72 drug overdoses in the county. Four deaths over the three-year period have been listed as “undetermined cause of death.”
The coroner is also responsible for submitting reports to state and federal agencies, including the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for fatal crashes, drug overdoses to the PA Department of Health, and the US Drug Enforcement Agency, maternal deaths to the Department of Health.
The coroner’s office also handles calls from various agencies, attorneys and insurance companies for information and reports on behalf of residents and county agencies.
“It’s been very rewarding to provide these services to the residents of Clearfield County,” Shaffer Snyder said.
“Despite my decades of experience, my team and I continue to learn skills and ways of making this service more effective and efficient for the taxpayers.”
Prior to taking office in 2020, Shaffer Snyder was appointed by the Clearfield County Commissioners in January 2018 to fulfill the unexpired term of the former coroner. She had also been deputy coroner for Clearfield County since 1994.
Shaffer Snyder is a life-long resident of Clearfield County and a graduate of the First Baptist Academy in DuBois.
She is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Business Administration. She is also certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
She successfully completed the Pennsylvania Coroner’s Basic Education Course in 2013. She has also completed numerous continuing education courses in death investigation and functions of the Coroner’s Office.
Shaffer Snyder also has many years working within the Clearfield County Court system. Prior to being appointed acting coroner, she spent 25 years working full-time in the District Court in DuBois. She has worked with both state and local law enforcement.
She is a member of The Pennsylvania State Coroner’s Association and the Gelnett Memorial Church. She serves on the board of directors for Gateway Humane Society and has for 30-plus years, several of those years as the board treasurer.
“The network of professional contacts that I’ve developed throughout the state has been extremely helpful in providing a high level of service to Clearfield County,” Shaffer Snyder said.
“And, we have been thankful for the cooperation of other important organizations including PSP and municipal police departments, EMS and Fire service agencies, the Clearfield County sheriff’s office, 911 dispatch center, emergency management agency, and the district attorney’s office.”
The 2023 primary election will be held on May 16, with the general election on Nov. 7.
Shaffer Snyder lives in Sandy Township with her husband Kevin. To find out more about her campaign, find and like her Facebook page.
