Dr. Anne Simonsen is a Professor and former Coordinator of the Recreation and Leisure Studies Program in the Department of Physical Education and Recreation at Gallaudet University. She served on the Board of Trustees of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) from 1998 to 2004. While on the NRPA Board of Trustees, she co-chaired the Professional Development Committee and was a member of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee. She also chaired the Women, Minorities and Cultural Affairs Committee. She was on the CPRP Exam Management Committee of the National Certification Board from 2000-2006. She was the President of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society from 1995-1996. She served on the Board of Directors of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society (NTRS); the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC); the Mid-Eastern Symposium on Therapeutic Recreation; the US Disabled Athletes Fund; and Camp Mark Seven (a camp for children and adolescents who are deaf/hard of hearing). She was the Vice President of the Maryland Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) and the Chair of the Therapeutic Recreation Branch of MRPA. She was also the Chair of the Advisory Board to the Therapeutic Recreation Management School. She is on the Advisory Board of the Recreation and Leisure Studies Program at Catonsville Community College and served on the Advisory Board of the Park Management Program at Frederick Community College in the past.

Dr. Simonsen was on the Board of Directors of the Frederick County League of Women Voters. She was the Secretary of the Frederick County Mental Health Advisory Board.  She served as a Brownie Troop Leader for the Frederick County Girl Scouts. She was the Co-Chair for the Run-for-Life when she served on the Frederick County Heart Association’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. She was the Chair of the Stroke Sub-Committee and coordinated the D.C. Stroke Club for the Nation’s Capital Affiliate of the American Heart Association. She also was a member of the Prince George’s County Coalition for the Handicapped and the Advisory Committee of the Hearing-Impaired Project.

Prior to teaching at and coordinating the Recreation and Leisure Studies major at Gallaudet University, Dr. Simonsen coordinated the Recreation and Leisure Studies Program at Hood College. She directed the Special Populations Division for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. She was the Therapeutic Recreation Specialist at the George Washington University Hospital and an Educational Specialist for the National Park Service. She has also worked in aquatics as a Director, Pool Manager, Assistant Director and Education Program Specialist.
Dr. Simonsen has presented on a variety of topics which include: Deafness and Deaf Culture; Mentoring the New Professional; Public Policy and Advocacy; The Future of Recreation and Therapeutic Recreation; Leadership, Communication, and Decision-Making; Attitudinal Barriers; Gerontology; Community Recreation Programs for Special Populations Groups and Inclusion; Professional Pride and Professional Ethics; Conflict Management and Mediation; and State Recognition in Therapeutic Recreation. She has had articles published in Parks and Recreation and professional newsletters. As the co-chair of the Joint Task Force on Credentialing for the Alliance in Therapeutic Recreation, she contributed to and co-edited State recognition options in therapeutic recreation: An educational resource (2003). She has written a chapter titled, “Certification Testing for Therapeutic Recreation:  Equity, Access, and Preparation” in Assessing deaf adults:  Critical issues in testing and evaluation (Mounty & Martin, 2005).

Dr. Simonsen has a Ph.D. in Therapeutic Recreation; a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation; a BA in English Literature; a Paralegal Certificate; a Master’s degree in Legal and Ethical Studies, and a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. She has also completed the Mediation Training Course at the Center on Negotiation and Conflict Management at the University of Baltimore.

She is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), a Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP), and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Dr. Simonsen has received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Therapeutic Recreation Society, the Distinguished Fellow Award from the Maryland Recreation and Park Association, the Distinguished Service Award from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of the National Recreation and Park Association, the Presidential Award from the American Therapeutic Recreation Association and three Presidential Awards from the National Therapeutic Recreation Society. She has also received awards for service from the Frederick County Arthritis Foundation, the Frederick County Heart Association, and the City of Walkersville, MD. She has been listed in Outstanding Young Women of America (1982), Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges (1998-99), and she was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society at the University of Maryland in 1982.

She is a runner and participates in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD Races for the Cure every year. And when she has time, she loves to walk, run, and bike along the C & O Cana and also compete in the shorter distance triathlons. [updated 11/08]

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