About Miriam

Miriam Simmons

Miriam G. Simmons

is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian. A person must pass several exams in the understanding and use of Robert’s Rules of Order before this credential is granted by the National Association of Parliamentarians.

Miriam is the Secretary of the Lester L. Dahms Memorial Foundation, past-president and current vice 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.

Miriam’s parliamentary experience includes amendment of bylaws for non-profit organizations, running meetings, helping people have better meetings, and teaching people how to be effective during a meeting.

Experience

National Association of Parliamentarians (see: parliamentarians.org)

  • Coordinator, NAP Virtual Spring Conference, May 31, 2025

    “Parliamentary Solutions: The Intersection of Parliamentary Procedure and Technology”

  • Member, Youth Committee, September 2023 to August 2025

Minnesota State Association of Parliamentarians, a constituent member of the National Association of Parliamentarians (see: msap.us)

  • Vice President and Convention Chair, Minnesota State Association of Parliamentarians (MSAP), 2024-2025

  • Chair, Bylaws Committee, MSAP, 2023-2024

  • Chair, Nominating Committee, MSAP, 2023-2024

  • President, MSAP, 2021-2023

  • Vice President/Convention Chair, MSAP, 2018-2021

For the St. Paul Unit (SPU):

  • Bylaws Committee Chair, 2023 and 2024

  • Education Chair, 2021 and 2022

  • President, 2019 and 2020

  • Vice President, 2017 and 2018

  • Secretary, 2015 and 2016

Lester L. Dahms Memorial Foundation (see: dahmsfoundation.org)

  • Secretary, November 2022 to November 2025

  • Trustee, November 2021 to November 2027

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, 2025

  • 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

  • Member, White Bear Area League, a local league of LWVMN

Stillwater Area Community Foundation (see: stillwaterareafoundation.org)

  • 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; nominating committees; removal of officers; board structure; executive committee compliance; annual meeting elections; amendment of bylaws; and amendment of previously adopted motions.

  • Quantum of Quorum. A workshop presented to the eNAP unit of NAP on April 14, 2025.

  • Annual MSAP Seminar, January 25, 2025. Member’s Rights, presentation of session 1 on Parliamentary Fundamentals.

  • Everything Was Going So Well—or Was It? A workshop presented with Lucy H. Johnson, PRP, and Josh C. Martin, PRP, at the NAP Training Conference, San Antonio, TX, September 7, 2024.

  • Parliamentarians in Peril: Proxies. A workshop presented with David Whitaker, PRP, at the NAP Training Conference, San Antonio, TX, September 7, 2024.

  • 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)