Mary Anne (Chandler) Simmering
Class of 1992
Upon graduation from Big Piney High School in 1992, Mary Anne Chandler’s life has encompassed such
things as attaining a college degree, serving in the US Navy, raising five sons as a stay-at-home mom, re-
entering the educational arena, and earning her law degree. This by itself justifies becoming a
distinguished alumnus of BPHS.
In the fall of 1992, Ms. Chandler attended Tulane University on a Marine Corps Reserve Officers Training
scholarship. She graduated from this New Orleans LA. school in 1995 with a degree in communications.
It was here she met and married Brett Simmering.
Mary Anne Simmering served on active duty for the U.S. Navy for four years. She served as an
Administrative and Legal Officer for the Naval Command. Her duties included acting as a liaison with
local civilian enforcement and advised the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer on such legal
matters. She also assisted in court-martial preparations and non-judicial punishments and separation
hearings.
After fulfilling her military duties, Mary Anne became a stay-at-home mom for five sons. After twelve
years, Mary Anne decided it was the right time to begin law school. She enrolled at Western Michigan
University Cooley Law School and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2019. While there, she was extremely
active in helping fellow students thrive in the high stress environment. She began a mentoring program,
she became a teaching assistant and served as President of the Moot Court Board which enables
student to practice courtroom skills in competition prior to graduation. As a result of her work with
other and her own classroom accomplishments, Simmering was awarded the Cooley Leadership
Achievement Award (2018), Cooley Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award (2018) and the
prestigious John D Voelker Award from the WMU Thomas M. Colley Law Review. Lastly, Mary Anne
Simmering was selected to present the Valedictory Address at the 2019 graduation ceremony.
Since March of 2020, Attorney Simmering has been an assistant Public Defender for Kalamazoo County,
Mich. She has represented over one thousand defendants including thirteen trials by jury cases. She
wrote and has argued motions regarding constitutional issues, bond issues and competency issues as
well as other legal matters.
Mary Anne has always been active in community service as well. She has been a boy scout troop
treasurer, a youth teacher at church, a parent-teacher organization volunteer. Mary Anne currently
serves as President of Portage Central High School Men’s Lacrosse Board, a non-profit organization that
supports her sons’ school lacrosse team as well as serving as a board member for The Matt Thrasher
Memorial Lacrosse Challenge.
No matter how far in time or distance - Big Piney will always be home and Mary Anne treasures her
memories of BPHS. She would like to sincerely thank her mother and family and all those who made
BPHS a great place to learn and grow. She would also like to thank those who worked to bestow on her
this honor – it is greatly appreciated!