Stewart Simonson is the Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization responsible for the WHO Office at the United Nations and the WHO-US Liaison Office. He also serves as the Director-General's Special Representative for UN Reform. Prior to his assignment in New York, Simonson was the Assistant Director-General for the General Management Group at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Prior to joining WHO in October 2017, Simonson was a technical advisor/administrator at Hôpital Sacré-Coeur (HSC) in Milot, Haiti. He also served as legal counsel and corporate secretary for The CRUDEM Foundation, Inc., HSC’s U.S. sponsor. HSC is a 225-bed definitive care hospital located in northern Haiti.
Simonson was the first Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He assumed office in 2004. Simonson told the president in his 2006 resignation letter that he had accomplished what he had set out to do, and it was time to pursue other opportunities. Simonson joined HHS in August 2001 and was instrumental in building the HHS preparedness and response organization that grew out of the September 11th attacks.
Simonson served as the Secretary's principal advisor on matters related to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies. He also coordinated interagency activities between HHS, other federal departments, agencies, offices and state and local officials responsible for emergency preparedness and the protection of the civilian population. Simonson was an early advocate of pandemic preparedness and led the Bush administration's work to respond to H5N1 influenza, including building influenza surveillance capacity around the world and securing the egg supply required for influenza vaccine production.
History
Simonson is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986 and Juris Doctor degree in 1994. He is a member of the bar in Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
After completing undergraduate studies, Simonson worked for several years on Wall Street before returning to Wisconsin to attend law school. Simonson worked his way through law school at the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Upon graduation he was hired as Deputy Legal Counsel to Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson and was soon promoted to Legal Counsel, a post he held from 1995 to 1999. Under Thompson, Simonson served as Chair of the state Pardon Advisory Board, directed the Governor's emergency management, led the policy development for crime and corrections, and coordinated the state's public safety agencies.
When Thompson became chairman of the board at the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) in the late 1990s, the Board of Directors appointed Simonson as corporate secretary and counsel for the company. Then, when Thompson was appointed to be Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, he brought Simonson with him to that agency as well. From 2001 to 2003 he was the HHS Deputy General Counsel and provided legal advice and counsel to the Secretary on public health preparedness matters.
Simonson also served as Special Counsel to the Secretary and acted as the Secretary's liaison to the Homeland Security Council and the Department of Homeland Security. He also supervised policy development for countermeasure research and development programs, including Project Bioshield, a program to speed the manufacture of vaccines and antidotes. Since its enactment in July 2004, Project BioShield has launched nine acquisition programs including medical countermeasure acquisition programs for all four threat agents (anthrax, smallpox, botulinum toxins, and radiological/nuclear threats) determined by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to pose material threats to the national security of the United States. Of the $3.4 billion available to the program between FY04 and FY08, over $1.7 billion had been obligated and the Strategic National Stockpile has substantially increased its holding of anthrax vaccines and medical countermeasures for radiological/nuclear threats.
Simonson was awarded the Surgeon General's Medallion in May 2006 for "Significant Collaboration with and Contributions to the USPHS Commissioned Corps Response Mission." In June 2006, Simonson received the Public Health Achievement Award from the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research: "For Tireless and exceptional dedication in better preparing our nation and world against the threats of bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases, including pandemic influenza."