Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning, announced the reappointment of Elizabeth B. Simmons, vice president of external affairs, to the reconstituted Seaport Economic Council.
Named to the Council by Governor Maura Healey, Simmons serves on the newly reconstituted 15-member body, which is updating its mission and membership to better advance economic growth, strengthen coastal resilience, and support working waterfronts across all 78 of the state’s coastal communities. Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll serves as Council chair.
As Vice President of External Affairs at the Academy, Simmons works at the intersection of education, maritime operations, and coastal policy, giving her understanding of the challenges facing the Commonwealth’s coastal communities. She brings knowledge of coastal infrastructure, workforce development, and the economic sectors that the Council is charged with strengthening.
A member of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy staff for more than 23 years, Simmons earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Academy, and later completed a Doctor of Law and Policy at Northeastern University.
In addition to her membership on the Seaport Economic Council, Simmons is a member of Congressman Keating’s Service Academy Nomination Committee, a member of the Mariner’s House Overseers Board, and serves on the Cape Cod Canal Chamber of Commerce Board. She has also previously served as the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) USA New England Chapter President, President and Board Chair for Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, and a member of the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School Steam Engineering Advisory Board.
“I am honored and grateful to be reappointed to the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council,” said Simmons, a resident of Onset, Massachusetts. “It’s a privilege to continue serving the Commonwealth and to support initiatives and investments that strengthen our ports, maritime workforce, and coastal economies.”
The Seaport Economic Council’s capital grant program supports working waterfronts, local tourism, coastal resiliency, and maritime innovation, from the North Shore to Cape Cod and the South Coast. Since August 2015, the Seaport Economic Council has invested more than $116 million in the state's coastal communities.