Experience
Right now, Simon is CEO of Volunteer Florida, the agency that administers AmeriCorps programs across the state. In this role, he's gained experience coordinating with state agencies, including the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Education. "I've worked with all of them in different initiatives to improve the lives of the communities that we serve across the state" Simon said. "That is part of the process. It is finding a way to bring down the silos of government."
For nearly 11 years, he's served as president of Big Bend Pop Warner, the local affiliate of a national nonprofit athletics organization for children. He also started a local charity called Corey's Kids.
Before joining the NFL, Simon played football for Florida State University. "Coach [Bobby] Bowden and his passion for service wasn't lost on me, and I engaged in the community" said Simon, who settled in Tallahassee after retiring from the NFL. "It's where I've always felt comfortable, where I've always felt loved and wanted. I thought it was a great place to raise a family."
Background
Simon was born in Boynton Beach in 1977 and raised by his mother, who worked full-time as a deli manager at Publix. "My mother worked tremendously hard."
Simon's upbringing helped him understand the struggles that many working families face. "For many of our single parent homes or even some of our two parent homes, those struggles haven't changed a whole lot" he said. "It's still about those issues of putting a roof over the head of their kids. It's about putting food on the table. And it's about putting gas in their vehicles so they can get to and from work."
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Simon says his "passion for people" developed at a young age. "I had a high school coach that really took me under his wing" he said. In college, he says Coach Bobby Bowden instilled in him a "passion for service."
Simon played for the Seminoles between 1996 - 1999. He was a standout defensive lineman.
In 2000, he began his eight-season career in the NFL playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. Simon also played for the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts. He retired in 2007 and began working in the private sector. He has a bachelor's degree in library and information science from FSU. |