Sitting across from Dave at a local eatery, it is a pleasure to see how comfortably he opens up about his childhood—growing up first in Barstow, Calif., as the middle child of a single mother, and later relocating to Ogden, Utah, following his mother’s marriage. That marriage blended two families, doubling the number of children in the home to six. Dave admits that this was an adjustment at first. “But,” he relays with his signature wide grin, “once we blended, you couldn’t separate us.”
This seems to be a theme running through his life: Dave builds community. “I have a passion for people.” He says with the same humility that permeates all of his stories. And he has stories.
Growing up from the age of 12 in Ogden, Dave was heavily involved in sports—and he was good. He tells a story about the end of his junior high awards ceremony, where he came away with so many trophies that he had to call his mom for a ride because he couldn’t carry them all home. Yet, in his reserved way, he recounts that his acceptance speech that day was precisely two words: “Thank you.”
The move to Utah turned out to be far more meaningful than young Dave could have imagined, ultimately directing the course of his entire adult life. One of the first families Dave’s family befriended was that of his future wife, Eloise. They were only in the sixth and seventh grades when they became fast friends.
“I suppose it was destined that we get married,” he says with a bit of a laugh. “Our parents were in the ministry together, and I liked her. She made going to church much more fun.”
It was ultimately Eloise who brought Dave to Idaho Falls. In 1981, after attending Weber State University, Eloise was given the opportunity to work as a drafting technician at what was then called the INEL—making her the first African American hired in that position at the lab. Eloise made Dave and a few other friends aware of job opportunities at the INEL, and so in 1983, Dave accepted a temporary position with the lab and moved north. “It was supposed to be a nine-month assignment,” he chuckles, “and I stayed for 43 years.” The couple were married a few years after his move.
Dave recently retired from a “storied career” as a nuclear facility operator, having received numerous industry awards over his career. Among them was the Argonne Pacesetter Award, given for exceptional performance, innovation, or leadership. He was also honored in 2016 by then-INL Director Dr. Mark Peters with the Laboratory Director’s Community Award—a recognition honoring employees who demonstrate outstanding citizenship, volunteerism, and leadership to improve the lives of people in the local community. Dave thoroughly enjoyed his working years and says with genuine pride: “My fingerprints are all over the fuel for EBR-II.” Referring to the INL’s second generation experimental breeder reactor, he adds: “We were the best of the best at what we did, and I can hang my hat on that.”
The same ‘passion for people’ that defined Dave’s growing-up years and career naturally extends into the community. That heart for service and connection is exactly what causes him to pour so much of his time and energy into the Idaho Falls African American Alliance (IFAAA). What started as a networking group around a shared breakfast table at a local truck stop diner became a true force for good in Idaho Falls.
For the last 20 years, IFAAA has led the charge with a mission to “initiate dialogue and provide resources that contribute to the educational, economic, and cultural growth and development of our community.” Much of that mission, Dave believes, is simply fulfilled with “honest communication.”
“People talk at each other, but they don’t hear each other,” he says. The IFAAA aims to change that by giving people a place to start. “Come together, sit down, get to know each other.” he urges. “Find the commonality and build on that.”
One way the Alliance promotes that practice is through the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Banquet held each January. Featuring prominent speakers and musical artists, the banquet brings people together to build understanding and unity. The event also serves as a fundraiser, helping provide scholarship funds to graduating high school students across the area. Dave urges the citizens of Idaho Falls to attend the next banquet which will be held January 22, 2027. He is thrilled that the keynote speaker will be Leah Weber King, daughter-in-law of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
Dave Snell, the man who invites the community to “get to know each other” views his massive circle as a profound blessing. “I’ve had an incredible life,” he reflects. “I think it is God. He put so many good people in my path.”