Melissa, her husband Dean, four-year-old son Landon, and elevn-month-old daughter Dakota (1st birthday coming July 11!), make up the Snyder squad. Melissa and Dean are both born and raised Buffalo natives - Dean from Amherst and Melissa from Cheektowaga.

Before moving to Summerfield Farms, Melissa, Dean, and a much teenier Landon were strolling through the neighborhood one beautiful summer afternoon. The couple was met with smiling faces and welcoming waves from the residents as they passed by. People in the neighborhood were enjoying the sunshine, riding bikes, walking dogs, and playing outdoors with their little ones. Melissa said it was at that moment she knew Summerfield Farms was where she and Dean would watch their children grow. The couple built their home and moved in March of 2020, because what better a time to move than the day the world shut down? Despite the collective stress of navigating a pandemic and moving into a new home, Melissa and Dean were thrilled to begin to settle into their sanctuary.

Now, around the neighborhood, the Snyders are known as the go-to car people. Whether you’re looking for a new ride or even if you got into a fender bender and have insurance questions, the duo have got you covered on all ends. Dean works for Progressive as an MRR (Managed Repair Representative) meaning he is in charge of managing the repair process for clients who have filed a claim. Melissa is a Sales and Leasing Professional at West Herr Buick GMC Cadillac in East Aurora. Melissa took an opportunity to pursue a job-sharing partnership with her now business partner Tim Bennett. The partnership allows Melissa and Tim to spend more time with their families while still having constant availability for clients by splitting all work hours between the two partners. The Snyder/Bennett team have been in the President’s Club for 6 years running! Both Dean and Melissa are so lucky to love what they do for work. They get to help people every single day and both agree that is one of their passions in life- to help others in any way that they can. Dean also worked for West Herr for about 10 years before getting back to his roots by becoming an MRR at Progressive, and you guessed it- West Herr was where Melissa and Dean's love story began.

Fast forward from the aligned stars that day the couple met. Melissa and Dean are now married and blessed with their littles, Landon and Dakota. Landon goes to the Beyond Learning Center, formally known as the Cantalician Center of Learning. He got accepted into the integrated Pre-K program which has sparked exponential growth with his speech delay. Just this past Christmas he began talking, and now he is saying more and more every single day! Also, he loves reading and spelling. Some of Landon’s favorite activities are baseball and football -Bills Mafia in Training! He and his Daddy play catch or T-Ball in the yard if they aren’t at the local playground. On rainy days you’ll find Landon inside playing with his cars- maybe he will grow up to follow Mommy or Daddy’s footsteps, or maybe it’s because he’s fully obsessed with Pixar’s movie “Cars.” We think the latter, but time will tell! Dakota can be found snoozing, snacking, laughing or judging you. Don’t be fooled by her sassy side-eye, though, she is one of the happiest and sweetest babies!

Aside from Melissa and Dean’s mutual love for their careers and helping people, their love for being parents to Landon and Dakota is immeasurable. Having the opportunity to combine family traditions to pass down and create new ones with their children is so much fun for the Snyders! Landon and Dakota have made Christmas time magical all over again for Dean and Melissa. Leaving out milk and cookies for Santa, reindeer food for Rudolph and the crew, and making gingerbread houses are some of the couple’s favorite holiday traditions. As a family, they love going to Explore & More- The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum. Saturday nights usually are for family movie nights, but when Mommy and Daddy want a night out, they love going to live music concerts. A Day To Remember is their favorite hands down, particularly the acoustic tour “Reassembled” this past Fall. Now that Landon is a bit older, and Dakota old enough to travel, the family took a trip to Disney World for the first of many visits to the happiest place on Earth! The Snyders are a BUFFALO family, they LOVE our Bills and Sabres!! They love our city! Dean and Melissa cannot wait for the day the kiddos are big enough to go to a game, but for now, watching every game together as a family is the best!

Melissa and Dean feel blessed every day with such amazing children, family and friends. The opportunity to cultivate this life in Summerfield Farms has been a beautiful journey. The school district has proven nothing short of excellence already in Landon’s first year of integrated Pre-K. The couple is greatly looking forward to watching and participating in the educational milestones both Landon and Dakota will accomplish in the upcoming years. The school district is one of many fabulous attributes of this neighborhood, but it is the community bond that sets Summerfield Farms apart. Those smiles and welcoming waves from neighbors have not faded over the years but budded into deep friendships and support systems. Melissa and Dean both agree love, family, friendship and community are the most important things in life. Summerfield Farms has been the setting for their beautiful story and they are looking forward to many years to come in the neighborhood!