Kristen Simmons

Kristen M. Simmons grew up in Setauket, NY where she graduated from Ward Melville High School as a member of the National Junior Honors Society. After graduating high school, Kristen went on to earn a double-major at Skidmore College before coming home to make her historic mark on the construction industry by becoming the first woman ever to earn the designation of New York City Licensed Master Rigger. She has been a noteworthy leader in the rigging industry ever since. Ms. Simmons currently serves as the President of K. M. Simmons Inc. and as a Construction Manager of BUDCO Enterprises, Inc., and formerly served as the Secretary of the Long Island Steel Trade Association. She has worked on some of the largest recent projects in NYC such as the MoMA Expansion at 53 West 53rd Street, the chiller changeout at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and the JP Morgan building at 270 Park Avenue. In addition to her professional career, Kristen enjoys volunteering her time at the Ward Melville Heritage Organization by assisting her family in the annual tradition of putting the lights on the Christmas Tree in the Stony Brook Village and serving on the Jewels & Jeans (now the Summer Soiree) committee. In 2023, Kristen accepted a position on the Board of Trustees for the Long Island Museum where she works to preserve local culture for future generations to enjoy. 

Kristen currently lives in Setauket, and uses her free time to enjoy golf, skiing, and horseback riding, where she still competes nationally in the amateur hunters division.