E. Denise Simmons
E. Denise Simmons (born October 2, 1951) is the former mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, having served her first mayoral term 2008–2009 term and her second mayoral term 2016-2017. She was the first openly lesbian African-American mayor in the United States. Simmons has been on the Cambridge City Council continuously from 2001 to present, serving ten consecutive terms. Early life and education Simmons was born on October 2, 1951. She grew up in Cambridge's Area 4 neighborhood and attended Cambridge schools. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a Master's degree in Psychotherapy from Antioch College. In 1982, Simmons established her own business, the Cambridgeport Insurance Agency. Public Service and Political Career Public Service Simmons served as Executive Director of the Cambridge Civic Unity Committee in the 1980s. Among the work performed while in this role was her successful fight to increase the diversity within the Cambridge public school faculty. In 1992, Simmons ran for and won a spot on the Cambridge School Committee. She quickly won praise from across Cambridge for her tremendous work ethic, and for her efforts to find ways to build consensus with her colleagues. Over the next