Deirdre Simmons, an encouraging motivating speaker, is also a commercial talent, entrepreneur and business professional with practical lived experiences and competencies in human resources, operations, leadership, and public speaking. Her public speaking abilities allow others to see situations and paradigms with clarity as she brings new and interesting twists, as well as clarity, to messages for individuals and the masses.

As a learning and development specialist, STEM keynote speaker (including Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB), Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE), Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) representative Automated Communities 2050 Game Challenge at Games for Change) and graduation speaker, she has stood before audiences of 10 to 500+ people. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut (a major respected university in the United States) using various pedagogical methods to achieve course objectives and influence lives.

Writing, a key component to public speaking, is also a craft she has honed over the years. Deirdre has authored blogs, employee communications, executive leader speeches, crisis communications and her own speeches. Her thought leadership in communications, culture, organizational development, diversity and human resources can be found in her #MondayMusings on LinkedIn.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication with minors in Management and Supervision from Purdue University and a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from the UCONN School of Business, along with various certificates and accommodations. Her background includes volunteering in youth ministry, appearing in commercials and on television, facilitating conference sessions, speaking on leadership and diversity panels, and as a guest speaker for Disrupt HR delivering her session "HR Lessons from Cardi B."  In the past she has worked at her own HR consulting business, as a referring travel agent, Pepsi-Cola, Ford Motor Company, Department of Homeland Security and Bloomingdale's. In addition to teaching, she is a certified coach helping others reach success, and a strategic team leader of Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut (CONECT) - a social justice organization.

She is married to Rev. Jerry L. Simmons, and they reside in Connecticut.