Mark B. Simon
Mark B. Simon developed his own successful business as a general contractor, based on broad experience in working for others and managing their operations. He quickly became an acknowledged expert in his field, including code development, design of new equipment, and design and implementation of course-work, training, evaluation and emergency management. His life-long pattern of high energy and curiosity were left after an industrial accident, and forty-three operations later he remains a burr under the saddle of all whom either don't understand, or wish to ignore, people with disabilities. He strives to be a role model for survival and a respected resource for the disabled community, and an advocate who has managed to move mountains for others. Additionally, he served for many years on the Board of Directors for the Disability Center for Independent Living, an organization dedicated to assisting and supporting people with disabilities to live in their community, not in an institution, and presently is an active participant on a number of public policy issues, including Medicaid and Social Security reforms, as they affect people with disabilities.
Because Mr. Simon recognized that there is strength in numbers, he began by founding a program to increase equal opportunities for the disabled both indoors and outdoors, and pressured the Eagle County Commission, the US Forest Service and Vail Associates into sponsoring and implementing it. Since 1988 he has been a State Coordinator for the disabled community for communicating with and educating the General Assembly and Administration, has authored numerous pieces of legislation and guided them through to become law, and has been instrumental in forming programs to train and support disabled lobbyists, including those with severe disabilities. He has been actively involved in numerous organizations ranging from serving as a Board member and chairing the Appeals and Ethics Committees for the Better Business Bureau, to the Colorado Legislative ADA Committee.
Mr. Simon has held eight Gubernatorial, Presidential and Senate appointments. He has most recently served on the Governor-elect's HCP&F Transition Team, has represented the President of the Senate on the Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Reform, the Legislative investigation into abuses by Pinnacol Assurance and a board to provide funding for an SSA/Medicaid application assistance program. He was appointed by Governor Roy Romer to the Governor's Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities in 1995 to serve as the “start-up” chair of this new commission, to advise the Governor and Legislature, oversee ADA implementation, and provide coordination and advocacy. He continued to serve as a Council member for 11 years, and still participates. He has been instrumental in establishing and/or augmenting a number of the organizations in Colorado, which focus on the needs, and resources of the disabled community, and which as a matter of policy involve the disabled community in their own representation. In 1995 he received the Advocate of the Year Award from the Colorado designee for the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities of which he also served as a member as well as the 2011 Governor's Volunteer of the Year Award. He was appointed by the Governor to the Colorado Rehabilitation Advisory Council to revamp the agency to conform to changes in Federal law to increase consumer control. He helped found a coalition of organizations, which enables them to work together, and is board president of an organization developing significant reform of Colorado Medicaid.
On a national level Mr. Simon has served as a presidential appointee on The President's Committee for the Employment for Persons with Disabilities, was trained as an ADA trainer, and has provided consultant and volunteer services to varied agencies, including the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Interior Dept. (reviewing regulations for the ADA) the Department of Justice, and Colorado Medicaid. Attorney General Janet Reno awarded him a commendation for having the highest ADA settlement rate in the nation (167 of 171 cases assigned). He has frequently served as an expert witness. In 1997 he was chosen by Gov. Romer to help develop policy and procedures relating to the disability community for the Democratic National Committee.
Mr. Simon also holds the distinction of being the first person with a disability in Colorado to attain Firefighter I certification and served as the Equipment and Training Officers, Assistant Chief and Incident Commander for his local fire protection district.
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