Father Larry Snyder will step down as president of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) at the end of January after leading of the nation’s largest social services agencies for nearly a decade.

The CCUSA board has organized a search committee and Snyder will assist in the search process before he officially takes over as vice president for mission at the University of St. Thomas, a Catholic university based in the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Prior to joining CCUSA, Snyder served as executive director of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1988 and was a high school teacher for eight years before joining the seminary.

“It’s a huge deal for me. I knew at some point that I would come back to Minnesota. Even though I grew up in Illinois, my foundation of support and my friends are in the Twin Cities,” Snyder said in a news release announcing the transition. The 63-year-old will succeed Father John Malone, who retired May 31 and is returning to the Church of the Assumption in St. Paul to serve as its pastor.

Snyder is credited with expanding CCUSA’s role as a leader and national advocate for polities aimed at lifting Americans out of poverty since becoming president in 2005. He found immediate challenges after taking the position, with Hurricanes Rita and Katrina prompting the agency to expand disaster response efforts beyond just giving aid. Today, the organization coordinates relief efforts and is active in the field providing hands-on assistance.

CCUSA also acquired a new national headquarters in Alexandria, Va., two years ago and doubled the number of staff in the national office.

“We are extremely proud of all that we have accomplished under Father Larry, and while we will miss him a great deal both professionally and personally, we know this is a great opportunity for him to return to his home diocese and his true love of education,” said Sister Linda Yankoski, chair of CCUSA’s Board of Trustees.

Snyder twice has been recognized by The NonProfit Times’ Power & Influence Top 50 – in 2008 and 2009. CCUSA reported total revenue last year of approximately $4.22 billion, ranking it fourth on the NPT 100, behind United Way, Goodwill Industries International and The Y.

Snyder is the second chief executive of one of the nation’s largest charities to announce he’s stepping down during the past week. Neil Nicoll, who has led The Y for nearly a decade as well, announced he would be leaving his position and come president emeritus.

Snyder earned a bachelor’s degree in music from what is now Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., and earned a master of divinity degree from St. Thomas in 1987. He later received a master’s degree in public administration from Hamline University. CCUSA was founded in 1910 on the campus of Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., as the National Conference of Catholic Charities.