DEIRDRE SIMMONS BIO

Joshua 15: 16-19

Deirdre Simmons is a passionate HR leader with over 10 years of human resources, operations & leadership experience.  Her expertise includes strategic alignment of business objectives with HR processes, creating and  maintaining a learning environment, coaching, employee relations, performance management, HR compliance & financial, people and operational risk management.

Prior work experience include Pepsi-Cola, Ford Motor Company, Dress for Success Worldwide, an international construction company and the Department of Homeland Security.    In addition to typical work experience, she has volunteered for some great organizations.  Her relationship with Streetwise Partners has spanned over 6 years; she began as a mentor  (and worked at least 3 cycles), spoke on a panel, has participated in a multitude of speed networking and interviewing sessions and has been the organizations graduation speaker on two occasions. As a volunteer in other capacities, she has utilized her skills and talents to help others “get to where they need to be” by providing workforce readiness seminars to the unemployed, under employed and youth.  Her talents and leadership capabilities are what motivated her to work on committees for the NJ Gateway SHRM chapter eventually becoming president and helping the organization achieve a Silver status award.   She, a national SHRM member on the Ethics/Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Panel, has recently joined the Southern Connecticut SHRM chapter.

This graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Business has achieved her Master’s of Science in Human Resource Management and now works as a founding member of the UCONN MSHRM Alumni Council. Her undergraduate degree is from Purdue University; B.A. degree in Organizational Communications with minors in Management & Supervision.  While working on a contingent basis at the Department of Homeland Security, she received her certificate to be an EEO Advisor.  Other certifications include Mental Health First Aid and IAF leader training.

In church, she has worked with the health ministry, women’s ministry, as a missionary and as a servant leader in the multi-media ministry, youth ministry and on workforce readiness initiatives.  She is happy to work where needed in her church-Mount Aery Baptist Church in Bridgeport, CT.

She considers her most important role to be wife.  Deirdre and her husband have multiple endeavors: Cast Your Net On The Right Side #NowWhat- a non-profit to bring much needed dialogue to the community on relationSHIPS, Cast Your Net Travel and online travel website that  “gets people where they need to be” and sets the example for financial stability through multiple streams of income and Smoove Stones, a men’s lapel pin and cuff link line of products.  This year they celebrate 9 years of marriage: she and her chef, trainer, businessman and minister husband Jerry Simmons reside in Danbury, CT.