Marsha Simon

Dr. Simon is an expert in legislative strategy, nonprofit management, and public policy research, with over 20 years of experience, including nearly a decade working for the United States Senate. She served as senior committee staffer to Senators Edward M. Kennedy, Tom Harkin, and Robert C. Byrd, advising them on public health and welfare policy, as well as on the budget and appropriations processes. These staff positions included minority staff director for the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies for Senator Tom Harkin; and chief policy advisor for Budget and Health Policy for the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor, and Pensions for Senator Edward Kennedy. Senator Harkin was the chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee, as well as of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that is responsible for public health measures, including biomedical research and food and drug law.

In addition to her experience working for the U.S. Senate, Dr. Simon has managed government relations for diverse health, income security, and welfare stakeholders, including for the Jefferson Consulting Group, a lobbying and federal business development firm; the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology; and public interest groups, including Families USA, the Food Research and Action Center, the Housing Assistance Council and Rural America (now the Community Transportation Association of America).

Dr. Simon served on Barack Obama’s health advisory committee during his presidential campaign. She also served as a policy advisor on Governor Howard Dean’s campaign and drafted his long-term care platform. She was also a member of the Clinton Administration’s National Task force on Health Care Reform.

Dr. Simon earned a Ph.D. and an M.S. in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition to her work at Simon&Co., Dr. Simon is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Health Policy at The George Washington University.