2015 Alumnus of the Year:
Bob Simonds ‘81 On Saturday, April 25, PCDS Board of Trustees President Jahm Najafi presented Robert Simonds ’81 with our 2015 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year award. Bob was joined by several members of his family, including his mother, daughter, and sisters.
Left: Bob with his daughter, Charlotte, at Bridge-the-Gap Celebration. Right: Headmaster Andrew Rodin and then-President of the Board of Trustees Jahm Najafi present Bob with the Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award. Below: Bob in class, 1979
Mr. Najafi presented Bob with a plaque, Bob thanked the audience, expressed his gratitude to PCDS and said, “None of this would have been possible were it not for the great teachers, outstanding education, and supportive community at PCDS. It is clear that all of those qualities and more exist in the school today, and I am proud to be an alum.” Bob Simonds ’81 is a film producer and the Chairman and CEO of movie studio STX Entertainment. His over thirty Hollywood studio movies have generated well in excess of $6 billion in worldwide revenue, 42
including Cheaper by the Dozen and The Pink Panther with Steve Martin, Big Daddy and The Waterboy with Adam Sandler, and This Means War with Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon and Tom Hardy. Throughout his hands-on producing career, Simonds had the single best studio track record for profitability on his films. As a member of the 1981 Phoenix Country Day School state championship baseball team, Bob was inducted into the PCDS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. Bob lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Anne, and their five children. n