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ABOUT SANDY

 

​Sandy Simon suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage at age 56 in the prime of his life. He was declared 100% disabled for life in 1993. He has miraculously recovered and is now leading a happy and productive life. He has written fourteen books since his stroke which brim with emotional sensitivity and his humorous personal anecdotes.

Sandy Simon is a native and current resident of Delray Beach, Florida. He brings a unique perspective to the modern history of Southeast Florida. As a native of Delray Beach whose family has lived there since 1912, he, or members of his family personally experienced or witnessed most of the historical events that are chronicled in his book Remembering, one of three hard-cover books he has written on the history of the area.

Mr. Simon enjoyed a successful career in real estate development in Atlanta, Savannah, and Palm Beach County after receiving his B.S. in Architecture from Georgia Tech and his M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

As a civic volunteer, he was Chairman of the Savannah Symphony Society, Chairman of the renowned Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, and Chairman of the Steering Committees of Visions 2000, 2005 and 2010, and the Decade of Excellence Bond Referendum, all of which led to the renaissance of Delray Beach. He was named National Volunteer of the Year by the National Association of County Parks Executives and Volunteer of the Year by Palm Beach County. He is also a recipient of the Savannah Bar Association Law Day Award.

In October 2004, Old School Square, Delray Beach, Florida's Cultural Center bestowed on Sandy Simon and his brothers Ernest, an attorney, Roy, an AIA Architect, and Charles, a dentist, the coveted Life Achievement Award. They were recognized as a family for their devotion to their native community and evidenced by a combined more than 120 years of civic leadership and contributions of self to the community’s quality of life. Among the organizations which experienced their leadership are the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach Playhouse, Caridad Clinic, Kiwanis, Rotary, and appointed positions to the city's various boards.

Mr. Simon enjoys a full life of writing, painting, and participating in community activities while continuing various therapies. He is a popular speaker, inspiring others with the story of his recovery and his perspective on history and anthropology. For six years he was an Enlightenment Speaker on Norwegian Cruise Lines and traveled around the world. He also was a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association at their various chapter meetings across the United States.

Currently, Sandy and his longtime companion Christy Collins spend the summers in Rabun County, Georgia where he has invested in and restored several commercial buildings.

 

 

Sandy’s Career

 

Education:

            B.S. School of Architecture, Georgia Tech. 1960.

            MBA Wharton Graduate School, University of Pennsylvania. 1965.

            Post Graduate:  Michigan State:  Kellogg Institute. 1968.

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Experience:

For the past sixty years, I have been called on to turn around five different for profit and not for profit organizations which were in terminal trouble.  I did so, successfully, each time.

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For my first job after graduating from George Tech in 1960 I was offered a position of Project Manager of an island resort on the Great Exuma Island in the Bahama Out Islands, an incredible experience for me at 23 years old, employed by some of the wealthiest individuals in America and working with some of the poorest and least experienced in the world. It was also the best time of my life, sailing, diving in crystalline clean waters, diving during the months when the construction had ended and vacationers had not yet arrived! Upon completion I stayed on and managed the resort, bar tending and diving for lobsters for our guests and training the housekeeping staff. After two years I returned to the US and soon returned to Atlanta to find my second position.

 

1974-1979: CEO of Shenandoah, HUD Title VII7, a 7,500 acre New Town. Staff of 45. Innovations included: Atlanta Foreign Trade Zone and world’s largest building heated and cooled by solar energy.

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​1983: Developed and marketed six upscale projects in Palm Beach County, Fla. including condominiums, offices, a specialty retail center and 80,000 sf office building for Hollywood’s Burt Reynolds in Jupiter, Fla. 

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1982-  Business Manager for Hollywood’s Burt Reynolds.

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1986-2000:  President, CEO of Morikami Museum, Inc., a non-profit support group of the only museum in America dedicated to Japan’s living culture. Served as CEO for eight years and twenty years on Board.

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Joint ventured with Palm Beach County Department of Parks and Recreation to operate new  museum and 2,000 acre park.

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Negotiated innovative original public-private management agreement. 

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Successfully led fundraising effort to build new 36,000 sf, $3.5 million museum. Oversaw design and    construction on budget, on time.

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Built the seventeen acre Japanese gardens, largest of its kind outside of Japan.  Became “jewel of Palm Beach County Parks’” Cost:  $3.2 million. Attendance increased from 30,000 per year to 150,000 per year.

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Established sister-city relationship and student exchange program with Miyazu, Japan, home of George Morikami, benefactor of the park.

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Conceived and led Visions 2000, an American Assembly visioning and consensus-building conference in coordination with Florida Atlantic University. American Assembly was first advanced by President Dwight Eisenhower while President of Columbia University.

 

Asked to co-chair successful “All-American City” Steering Committee in 1990.

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Asked to chair Visions 2005 and Visions 2010

 

City of Delray Beach selected for the second time “All-America City” in 2000.                                                                                             ​

Keynote Speaker:        

             American Heart Association, American Stroke Association stroke conferences nationwide. 

             Norwegian Cruise Lines:  Enrichment Speaker, 2002 – 2006

                Various civic organizations, libraries, hospital rehab centers and universities

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Published Author of fourteen books after severe stroke

 

Licenses:         Real Estate Broker, State of Florida.  1982-present.

                        Life Member:  Atlanta Real Estate Board/Million

                        Dollar Roundtable.

 

Civic and Charitable Contributions:

In November 1978, at request of President Jimmy Carter’s Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance, together with three individuals, I embarked on fact-finding mission with Heads of State and high government leaders of eight Middle East countries’ including Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, to support the negotiations of the Camp David Accords.

           

Member of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Board of Governors, Memphis, Tennessee 1990-1993.

                       

Chairman of Decade of Excellence $21.6 million Bond Referendum. Both brought about Renaissance of

All-American City.

Senior Warden at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Delray Beach.                  

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Notable:               1970.  Law Day Award, Savannah Bar Association.

                                Eagle Scout.

                                Traveled to more than 50 countries.

                                Graduate of Leadership Atlanta, GA, Leadership Delray Beach, FL, Leadership                                                Palm Beach County, FL.                              

                             National Volunteer of the Year, Parks & Recreation Palm Beach in 1996.

                             Rotarian Service Above Self Award                

With three brothers, in 2004 received Lifetime Achievement Award from Delray Beach Cultural Center for more than 120 combined years of civic leadership.

 

 

Currently: As semi-retired, together with Christy Collins, Sandy divides his time between Delray Beach and Rabun County, Georgia. Sandy has invested in several commercial real estate properties in Clayton, G.A He and Christy are also involved in local civic affairs and St. James Episcopal Church activities.

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