Renee V. H. Simons

Renee V.H. Simons (1949) is the president of the nonprofit SANS Sag Harbor that pushed New York State officials to confer NRHP listing for the traditionally black beachfront enclave in Sag Harbors Eastville neighborhood.

Education
Simons earned her BA from Hunter College where she achieved Deans List honors. Her MS in education planning was from Fordham Graduate School of Education and she graduated from Columbia Business School with a MBA in Marketing. Her first place of employment after graduation, Kraft Foods, would put her on a career path with Phillip Morris, their parent company, where she held various director positions. Another opportunity followed with a senior vice presidency at JPMorgan Chase.

Career
Simons exercised roles at Fortune 500 companies engaging in advertising, marketing, corporate communications, technology and media management and Banking. She achieved professional recognition and held executive level positions at The Advertising Club of NY, Covenant House-New York, and held board membership positions at various corporations. She was president of the Harley Simons Group (a New York Domestic Business Corporation) and a director of the Taproot Foundation. After retiring from professional life she volunteered at the Sag Harbor Partnership where she is on the board of directors, and is currently President of SANS Sag Harbor, the non-profit that operates the Eastville Historical society.

SANS
Simons is a resident of Sag Harbor Hills and in 2016 began soliciting signatures on a petition for historic status of the subdivisions, created as a haven from the racial strife African Americans encountered at beaches and resorts in the tri-state area during the Jim-Crow era. The legacy families of early residents created in Azurest a safe, privately owned community where the beach was a welcoming part of the activities available to help nurture a family environment. The community expanded in the 1950's connected by dirt roads to Sag Harbor Hills and the adjoining Ninevah beach.

With help of volunteers she convinced the Sag Harbor town board to press for recognition to preserve the community from developers seeking to capitalize in lower land prices in this part of the trendy hamptons. The board agreed and Sen Kristen Gillebrand and congressman Charles H. Rangel of the NY delegation signed on to the efforts.

On July 10, 2019 the National Park Service officially Listed the SANS community of Sag Harbor — three adjacent communities situated in the former whaling community of free blacks, Irish and Indians known as Eastville, located on the east side of Sag Harbor village's other historic district; Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest and Ninevah were collectively elevated to the National Register of Historic Places as a Subdivision.

Honors
In 1996 she was honored by Monroe College for her business accomplishments and community service, gaining the 'Excellence in Enterprise Award' during its Black History Month celebrations. She was also added to the list of the "most powerful African-American executives in corporate America" in 1992. She also received the YMCA's Outstanding Women of America award.

The LVIS Landmarks Preservation committee conferred an award on Simons for her efforts in gaining NRHP status for the subdivisions.

The four year effort by Simon's steering committee that participated in fundraising efforts was rewarded with the Excellence in Historic Preservation Organizational Achievement award from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. NY assemblymember Fred W. Thiele was present in the Huxley auditorium at the New York State Museum for the awards ceremony to honor Simons and cohorts Sarah Kautz of Preservation New York and Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, Director of the Eastville Community Historical Society.