Miriam G. Simmons is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian. This credential is granted by the National Association of Parliamentarians after a person has been tested in the understanding and use of Robert’s Rules of Order. Miriam is the Secretary of the Lester L. Dahms Memorial Foundation, immediate past-president of the Minnesota State Association of Parliamentarians, and past Chair of the Stillwater Area Community Foundation. She has held other positions as President, Vice-President, Secretary, Bylaws Chair, and Program Chair with various organizations. She is retired from running a business in the technical sector. Her parliamentary experience includes amendment of bylaws for non-profit organizations, running meetings, helping people have better meetings, and teaching people what to do to be effective during a meeting.
Experience
Minnesota State Association of Parliamentarians, a constituent member of the National Association of Parliamentarians (see: MSAP.us)
- Chair, Bylaws Committee, Minnesota State Association of Parliamentarians (MSAP), 2023-2024
- Chair, Nominating Committee, MSAP, 2023-2024
- President, MSAP, April 2021 to April 2023.
- Vice President/Convention Chair, MSAP, May 2018 to April 2021
St. Paul Unit (SPU)
- Bylaws Committee Chair, SPU, 2023 and 2024
- Education Chair, SPU, 2021 and 2022
- President, SPU, 2019 and 2020
- Vice President, SPU, 2017 and 2018
- Secretary, SPU, 2015 and 2016
Lester L. Dahms Memorial Foundation (see: dahmsfoundation.org)
- Secretary, November 2022 to November 2024
- Trustee, November 2021 to November 2024
National Association of Parliamentarians (see: parliamentarians.org)
- Member, Youth Committee, September 2023 to August 2025
League of Women Voters Minnesota (LWVMN) (see: lwvmn.org)
- Board member and Secretary, April 2019 to June 2021
- Chair, Bylaws Committee, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
- Co-editor of the Briefing Paper: The Impact of Neonicotinoids on Honey Bees, published 2016
- Co-author of the Briefing Paper: Election Law: Absentee Ballots, published 2010
- Co-Chair, Judicial Study Committee, 2007
- Board member, 2001 to 2007
Stillwater Area Community Foundation
- Chair, September 2017–September 2019
- Secretary, October 2015–September 2017
- Board Member, 2014–October 2020
Activities
- Preparation of opinions related to adjourned meetings; board governance; board structure; executive committee compliance; annual meeting elections; amendment of bylaws; and amendment of previously adopted motions
- Robert’s Rules; Why Have Rules? A presentation to Northfield, MN’s Boards and Commissions, October 24, 2023.
- Robert’s, Briefly: the Muriel Miller Memorial Workshop. Part I: October 21, 2023; Part II: April 13, 2024 One of three presenters for a workshop for the general public on the basics of Robert’s Rules, based on Robert’s Rules of Order In Brief. Sponsored by the St. Paul Unit.
- Annual MSAP Seminar, January 28, 2023 Meetings: A Sprint or a Marathon, presentation of session 2: Motions and their Amendment (via Zoom)
- Community faculty member for Metro State University in St. Paul, MN for Topics in Advocacy: Parliamentary Procedure, Masters in Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) 668-02, a two credit course on nonprofit governance, May-June, 2022
- Annual MSAP Seminar, January 29, 2022 Meetings Without Misery; presentation of session 3: Avoiding Board-dom: Committees (via Zoom)
- Presentation of a lesson on Quorum to the AIP Adopt-in-Lieu-of Chapter, December 28, 2021 (via Zoom)
- Presentation of Meetings at Metro State University, as guest lecturer for a Political and Advocacy Leadership Class (MAPL 611), March 5, 2021 (via Zoom) and October 8, 2021 (in person)
- Presentation of Running an Effective Board Meeting (Robert’s Rules), part of a series of seminars presented by the St. Croix Valley Foundation Consultants in Service program, February 16, 2021 (via Zoom)
- Annual MSAP Seminar, January 29 and 30, 2021 Have a More Effective Board Meeting: Get Home Before Midnight ; Presentation of Session 1: Order or Chaos? (via Zoom)
- Preparation of scripts for state conventions of LWVMN (2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019)
Education
- Professional Registered Parliamentarian, October 2017; Registered Parliamentarian, April 2017
- C.E.O, Delta Technologies Ltd. (1986–2011)
- Sr. Chemist/Sr. Patent Liaison, 3M Company (1981–1996)
- Registered Patent Agent (1990)
- Ph.D., Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas (1974–1978)
- B.S., Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan (1970–1974)