A multistate New England native, Simon currently resides in Kigali, Rwanda, working with the William J. Clinton Foundation. Simon leads the water, sanitation and irrigation program for the foundation, which includes a major focus on expanding access to safe drinking water and improved hygiene and sanitation practices for primary schools and healthcare facilities. Before joining the foundation, Simon worked for the United Nations Foundation, where he created partnerships supporting the disaster-relief and long-term recovery efforts for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami and the devastating earthquakes in Pakistan and South Asia in 2005 — efforts that include the reconstruction of water infrastructure.

Simon brings an astute view to the water cause. Living in Rwanda, he understands the scale of the water crisis and its effect on the dignity, health and economic opportunities of so many people in that region of the world. Simon learned about the Blue Planet Run while working for the United Nations Foundation. During his tenure there, he worked closely with several nongovernmental organizations, including the Blue Planet Run Foundation, to establish the Global Water Challenge. Excited to travel the world by foot and to run across such a diverse set of landscapes, Simon sees the Run as a metaphor for what needs to happen in the water sector — “a constant marathon/sprint involving the entire international community.”

Simon received a BA in political science from Middlebury College in Vermont. He is also the recipient of the DACOR Bacon House Fellowship and was a semifinalist for a Rhodes scholarship.

Simon is inspired by selflessness and sacrificing the personal for the good of the many, traits embodied by his father/hero Henry Isaacs, who took care of the family and his mother as she dealt with terminal cancer, and his “boss,” former president Bill Clinton.

Simon is also an accomplished Nordic ski racer on the international, national and regional levels. He loves to spend time with his girlfriend and be outdoors skiing, biking, hiking or sailing. A true Vermonter, Simon enjoys kicking back with a good Vermont micro-brew and a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. He also loves any book by Gabriel García Márquez, Salman Rushdie or Barbara Kingsolver, and jams to bluegrass and country, particularly Brad Paisley and Nickel Creek, whenever he can.