More About Meghan Snipes

Hello! I am Meghan Snipes, and I am a Professional School Counselor and serve as the Director of School Counseling at Beechwood Middle School in Lexington County. I have been a school counselor for 14 years and have had the pleasure of working with students in elementary and middle school during this time. I look forward to serving as a PSSCA Conference Co-Director of Operations for the annual conference so that I may be a part of bringing great professional development as well as a time of community to the amazing school counselors in the state of South Carolina.

In my free time I enjoy being out on the lake or watching movies with my husband of 13 years and my two sons. I also find joy in serving at my church, spending time with friends, and reading whenever I can find some quiet time. You will also find that my dog Tilly (a dachshund) is never far from me (She is still holding out hope I will bring her to a conference one year).

I look forward to working with many of you and providing you with a great conference experience.

More About Dr. Loren Dittmar

Dr. Loren Dittmar was born and raised in the suburbs of NYC.  His professional experience began in the mental health field, then he transitioned into the school counselor role seventeen years ago and has loved every day since!  Before moving to South Carolina in 2021, he lived in California for five years, where he served on the CASC Board of Directors and during the pandemic, he served as the Mental Health lead for the creation of the Covid19K12Counseling.org website, which has been a resource used worldwide.  Loren also served as the CASC Director of Emerging Leaders and previously served as the CASC High School Vice President.  In 2018, Loren joined the adjunct faculty at California Lutheran University for the graduate programs in School Counseling and Marriage & Family Therapy, for which he continues to teach virtually.  Prior to California, Loren lived on a little island off the coast of Georgia called St. Simons Island, where he served as a high school counselor, adjunct college professor, board member of the Georgia School Counselor Association, and drummer for his local church. Currently, Loren is a high school counselor for Charleston County Schools in Mount Pleasant.  When Loren moved to South Carolina, he jumped right into building connections within PSSCA and is now serving as the Co-Director of Operations for the 2023 PSSCA Conference, as well as the Director of Operations for the Emerging Leaders program, which he is excited to kick off this coming year! 

Loren has a relentless passion for building capacity within School Counselors to better serve the Mental Health needs of all students, because as we all know, humans need to Maslow before they can Bloom.  He has provided numerous workshops on Suicide Prevention, Trauma-Informed Practices, and Parent/Caregiver Support, which are not only informative, but deeply moving for participants because of his vulnerability and willingness to share personal stories and professional growth experiences. Within all his presentations Loren reminds counselors that above all things, self-care and "family first" are critical for us to be our best for our students, and with a wife and four active children (ages 9-19), he understands the challenge of creating work/home life balance. Loren is committed to serving the mission of PSSCA to advance the profession of School Counselors, and with his varied experiences in numerous states, he offers a unique perspective and a curiosity that encourages deeper discussions, challenges the status quo, and fosters greater vision.