2018-2019 WLP Annual Report

2019 WLP COMMUNITY
LEADERSHIP AWARD
LINDA SIMMONS ’75
Linda Simmons ’75 is a successful business woman
and philanthropist — with a hand in building the
University of South Florida Tampa campus enjoyed
by so many today.
Simmons serves as president and CEO of
R.R. Simmons Construction Corp., which
specializes in design, engineering and construction
management services for corporate clients. The firm
is responsible for the Lee Roy Selmon Athletics
Center, several athletics facilities and a wing of the
Gibbons Alumni Center, cementing their legacy on
USF’s Tampa campus.
Simmons began her career in finance, blazing a
trail as a female leader in the Tampa Bay banking
industry before joining her husband, Randy
Simmons, in the family construction business.
Under her leadership, the company has received
a number of accolades for its projects.
Simmons’ relationship with USF came full circle
when she was invited to become a member of the
USF Alumni Association Board. She went on to help
found and chair USF Women in Leadership and
Philanthropy, serve as a member and chair of the
USF Foundation Board of Directors and join the Gus A.
Stavros Center Board. Simmons was honored with the
USF Alumni Association’s Donald A. Gifford Service
Award in 2011, which recognizes individuals who have
provided unparalleled volunteer leadership and service
to the university.
The Simmons have generously given to USF, with the
bulk of their efforts focused on scholarships, including
the Carolyn A. O’Steen Memorial Scholarship in WLP
in memory of her mother, as well as the Linda and
Randy Simmons Endowed Athletic Scholarship.
Outside of USF, Simmons has used her skill for
rethinking organizational structure and service
delivery on a number of nonprofit boards including
the United Way, the American Heart Association, the
Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, and Friends of
Boca Grande Community Center, to name a few.
25 2018-2019 ANNUAL REPORT