Regent Emerita Christine Simmons

Christine Simmons is the Chief Operating Officer for The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Previously, Ms. Simmons served as the President & Chief Operations Officer of the three-time WNBA Champion Los Angeles Sparks. Celebrating its 22nd season in Los Angeles, the Sparks are one of three founding teams from the league’s inception in 1997 and tout the last championship won by a professional franchise with their 2016 win.
 
Prior to joining the Sparks, Ms. Simmons was an Executive Vice President with Magic Johnson Enterprises where she would evaluate investment opportunities and was responsible for business development. With over a decade of leadership experience in creating strategic alliances, leading business development and driving corporate initiatives, she has worked with many Fortune 500 corporations and multi-million dollar companies.
 
A proud UCLA alum, graduating with her B.S. from UCLA in 1998, she is the immediate Past President of the Board of the UCLA Alumni and UCLA Foundation Board Member. Ms. Simmons was named to the University of California President’s inaugural list of Remarkable Women of UC in 2016.
 
She is an active member of the Los Angeles community, serving on the Board of Directors for the LA Sports Council and the Positive Coaching Alliance. Her dedication to excellence and passion for giving back has earned her a number of honors including: the LA Business Journal’s 2016 & 2017 list of 500 most influential people in Los Angeles, 2017 WISE LA Woman of Inspiration & 2018 LA Business Journal Women Leading the Way honor. She also volunteers for Better Futures for Thomazeau, a small, grass roots non-profit that provides aid to Haiti.

Ms. Simmons served as the Vice President of the Alumni Associations of the University of California (AAUC) from 2019-2020. She served as an Alumni Regent for one year commencing July 1, 2019, and as an Alumni Regent-designate from 2018-19.