Gwendolyn Simmons, a former college professor, lives in Monongahela. She has been very active with charitable groups in the Mon Valley, including the Mon Valley United Way and the Mon Valley YMCA. Born in Hampton, Virginia, Gwendolyn earned her Bachelors in Economics and Sociology from Virginia Union, and finished her Masters at Mount Holyoke. She taught economics and sociology at Allen University and also at South Carolina State University. Mrs. Simmons is the wife of retired Federal Court Judge Paul Simmons.