Ellen R. Imbimbo
May 11, 2016
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ISSUE:
- 2016 Women of Distinction
Ellen R. Imbimbo was born and raised in the northeast Bronx. Always interested in bettering her education, she studied at Hunter College, where she majored in Philosophy, with minors in English and Psychology.
During summer breaks, many of Ms. Imbimbo’s classmates worked as monitors at summer camps. Because she wanted to stay in the City, the Hunter Employment Office sent her to Standard Oil (N.J.) in Rockefeller Center for the summer – where she ended up staying for almost 30 years. Standard Oil’s generous employee tuition reimbursement policy enabled Ms. Imbimbo to pursue a Master of Business Administration, which she completed at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Ms. Imbimbo faced many odds in pursuing this degree, as the percentage of women pursuing M.B.A.s at night was only about 5 to 10% of the student class.
After graduating from Hunter, Ms. Imbimbo moved to Manhattan. It was there that she began her involvement in community affairs, working with the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association. Inspired by then-Mayor Ed Koch talking about giving back to the City, Ms. Imbimbo decided to attend community board meetings – first as an onlooker, and then as a member of Community Board 6 in Manhattan. Inspired by the needs facing her community, and the importance of helping, she remains a member to this day.
Ms. Imbimbo has given unwaveringly and selflessly to Community Board, serving as Secretary of the Board, Vice Chair of the Board, chair of several committees, and currently as Vice-Chair of the Land Use and Waterfront Committee. Ms. Imbimbo has dedicated her life to the betterment of her community, and to the City as a whole. Giving freely of her time and efforts, Ms. Imbimbo always serves with the goal of making New York City great.