M.A., Organizational Behavior Multicultural Counselor

Jeff is a Native American (Assiniboine/Santee Sioux and Cree) from the Ft. Belknap Indian Reservation in Harlem, Montana.  The family moved around alot during the first few years of his life and he finally ended up on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Western Montana.  From there Jeff went to Pierre Indian Boarding School in South Dakota.  When in Jr. High they moved to Missoula, Montana and eventually to Billings where he went to high school and joined the LDS Church.  After graduating from high school in Billings, Montana he served a Mission for his church in the Southwest Indian Mission (which included all of the Indian tribes in Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Colorado and Southern Utah). 

Then he was accepted to BYU where he earned an AA degree in Child Development and Family Relations, a BS in University Studies with emphases in Organizational Behavior, Sociology, Religion, Indian Studies,  Math, and History.  He then earned a Certificate in Adult Development from the Rocky Mountain School of Gerontology, and went on to earn a Masters degree in Organizational Behavior from the BYU Graduate School of Management where he graduated in the top ten percent of his class, Magna Cum Laude.  Jeff also completed over two and half years of full-time doctoral work in the field of Education.

Jeff has worked at four different institutions of higher education as an Adjunct Professor,  and as a Counselor and academic advisor. He serves as the advisor to the American Indian Council at WSU.  He loves working with students helping them to achieve and to overcome difficulties and break down barriers to success. He has worked at two Universities here in Utah and two colleges in Southern California.  He also has a Lifetime Teaching Credential in Business and Management from California.

He and his wife Betty (Navajo/Hopi), who also works at WSU as a Career Counselor, have done extensive teaching and consulting work for the past thirty years.  During the late 70's and early 80's they founded the Institute for Native Development and did work with over 150 tribes throughout the U.S. and Canada.  They have continued to maintain their consulting practice over the years and enjoy working with government, business, and educational organizations as Agents for Change and Improvement.  They love doing the REACH training for the various school districts in the area, where they share their Native American Cultural perspectives with educators.

Jeff and Betty are the parents of six children, four of them have graduated from WSU and their youngest is currently attending Weber State University.  Their oldest daughter went on to Southern California to earn a Masters degree and teach in the California Public School system.  They have seven grand-children and one more on the way.  They love working at Weber State University and for the scores of committees that they have served on in the many years that they have been on this campus, but especially for serving the great WSU students.  Jeff has taught several different courses at Weber State University and loves the classroom and teaching experience.

Jeff also works in the community as a member of the board of trustees for the Ogden Regional Medical Center, he serves as the treasurer for the Utah Coalition for Minorities in Higher Education (UCAMHE), and he serves on the Faculty/Staff Association at WSU.  He loves fund-raising, writing and the great outdoors, especially the beautiful state of Utah.

E-mail Jeff Simons