Simons graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College in 1976. He went on to receive a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 where he also received an American Institute of Architects School Medal and Certificate of Merit.
Simons is recognized as a Distinguished Alum from the Institute for Civic Leadership (2008), and he has served as a design critic at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Northeastern University. Previous to establishing a firm bearing his name, Simons worked at the notable studios of Geddes Brecker Qualls Cunningham (1980-1981), Marcel Breuer Associates (1981-1983), and Sasaki Associates (1989-1992). In 2014, he was recognized for his effect on the built environment as one of Maine"s fifty most influential people.
In 2015, Simons presented at Maine Live, a symposium of visionary Mainers.
Simons is a founding member and past president of the Portland Society for Architecture, an American Institute of Architects board member, and a former board member of the Waynflete School and Yarmouth Arts. As a member of the American Institute of Architects, he was elevated to a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2016 in Category One: “To promote the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the profession”.
