Uncrowned Community Builders

Renae Kimble has been a strong voice and advocate for disadvantaged residents of the Niagara County community. Never afraid to take on tough issues, she has a reputation as a champion of voting, civil and human rights issues.

Renae Kimble was born and raised in the City of Niagara Falls, New York. After graduating from the Niagara Falls public school system, she attended Niagara County Community College and received an Associate in Arts Degree in Liberal Arts/Social Science, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a Juris Doctor Degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Law. She is also a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy, Buffalo, NY.

The lead plaintiff who won a federal lawsuit under Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, created the "new" Second Legislative District which ensured representation for African Americans to have a voice in county government is the proudest achievement of former Niagara County Legislator Renae Kimble. This majority minority district continues to exist today.

A woman of many firsts, she was the first woman to run for the office of Mayor of the City of Niagara Falls, NY in 1991. She was the first African American woman to be elected to political office in Niagara County on November 2, 1993. Former Legislator Kimble, after 18 years, was the longest serving woman to ever hold a seat in the Niagara County Legislature. She served as the first Chairwoman of the Women's Legislative Caucus of the Niagara County Legislature in 2011.

As a former member of the Niagara County Legislature, she oversaw a county budget (in excess of $316 million dollars), a county manager, over 45 department heads, over 1,500 employees, negotiated contracts for six labor unions and was responsible for enacting laws, rules, regulations as well as ensuring compliance with all local, state, and federal laws for the County of Niagara.

During her nine terms, she also managed as both the Majority Leader for the Democratic Majority in 1997 and Vice Chairwoman of the Legislature in 2003 to become the highest ranking woman to serve in Niagara County government. She served as Chairwoman of the Administration, Economic Development, and Human Resources Committees as well as Vice Chairwoman of the Finance Committee.

Legislatively, former Legislator Renae Kimble revolutionized the way Niagara County government operates. When elected, the Niagara County operated under the Committee form of government she wrote and promoted the Local Law (for eight years) that established the County Manager form of government which was finally adopted in 2002 and that Niagara County has relied on since 2003. She was the Chairperson of the first Niagara County Manager Ad Hoc Search Committee, which hired Niagara County's first County Manager.

She established the Niagara County Micro-enterprise Assistance Program which secured over $900,000 dollars from HUD through former Congressman John J. LaFalce in 1995. This program has financially assisted over 350 small businesses and created over 650 jobs for low to moderate income individuals throughout the county since its implementation in 1995. She was able to secure over $4.1 million dollars since the program's inception. Several of the companies (some women owned) have gone on to become Fortune 500 Companies.

Ms. Kimble was also responsible for creating in 2009, the Opportunity Zone Program for distressed cities - the cities of Niagara Falls, Lockport and North Tonawanda through the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency.


Former Legislator Kimble worked closely for two years in 2008 - 2010, with the NYS Attorney General's Office under former Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, to bring about significant reform to the Niagara Falls Police Department. Under an agreement which was implemented between the Attorney General's Office and the City of Niagara Falls, the police force is now required to put new policies and protocols in place, which governs the use of excessive force and police brutality primarily against African American citizens.

She also assisted the NYS Attorney General in 2008 - 2010 in its investigation against the City of Niagara Falls discriminatory hiring, firing and promotion policies toward people of color, which led to the hiring of the City's EEOC officer.

Ms. Kimble is a life member of the NAACP, a member the Executive Committee and Chairwoman of the Legal Redress Committee. She was instrumental in getting the NAACP New York State Conference to host its 81st Annual New York State Conference meeting in the City of Niagara Falls, on October 6-8, 2017, for the first time in the history of the NAACP New York State Conference.

The leader in the effort to create Citizens against Hospital Merger in 1998, she worked to prevent the loss of the hospital's acute care services and reproductive health services for women at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. Her efforts along with Citizens against Hospital Merger saved the hospital as a full-service healthcare facility which has expanded services to its patients, having multiple capital improvement expansions in excess of $62 million dollars since 2003.

Assuming the lead role in the redevelopment of the former dilapidated Unity Park Housing Project, former Legislator Kimble following a 13-year battle, was able to get the substandard housing project demolished and the new Cornerstone Housing Project constructed in 2008.

She was the lead sponsor of the following local laws and resolutions: Local Law against Bias and Racial Discrimination in the county; Niagara County Code of Ethics local law, the toughest code of ethics at that time in the state; Resolutions establishing the Niagara County Commission on the Status of Women, which addressed concerns about the inequitable treatment of women in Niagara County and the Commission on Infant Mortality; Resolution to Save the Niagara Falls Air Base from Closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRACC) in 2005, the county, NIAMAC and its partners and was successful in keeping the Air Force Base off of the base closure list which saved over 3,400 jobs and in excess of $150 million dollars which it contributes in the Western New York region.

She was also the lead sponsor of the following resolutions: The resolution Requesting Governors Cuomo and Paterson to Establish a Permanent Niagara County Resident as a member of the New York Power Authority (NYPA) Board of Trustees as well the resolution in support of Expansion and Continuation of New York Power Authority (NYPA) Power for Jobs Program; the resolution to Save American Jobs; the resolution requesting National Fuel Gas Representatives to meet with the Niagara County Legislature regarding their price increase to customers; the resolution requesting the State Legislature to Redistribute/Give a Greater Share of the Casino revenues for the benefit of the City of Niagara Falls and Niagara County Residents; and the Resolution which restored $133,000 in funding for the Niagara County Domestic Violence Program.

Ms. Kimble developed a viable plan for local control and the development of the Niagara Falls lnternational Airport as a member of the Niagara County lndustrial Development Agency where she served as Treasurer, and as the president of the Niagara Airport Development Corporation. She also was the lead sponsor of a resolution in support of local control for the airport.

She also fought to keep Niagara County Community College at the Trott Access Center; she fought to have bus service restored in the Second Legislative District; after the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) proposed cuts to bus service; she had the 13th Street Gym re-opened after it closed in 1997. She established the Young Women of Excellence Program at Gaskill Middle School which assisted young African American female students in conflict resolution.

The City of Niagara Falls celebrates the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a paid holiday due to her efforts as a member of the Niagara lmprovement Association. Renae served as Vice President, and Program Chairperson of the Niagara lmprovement Association Annual Awards Dinner. She was the sponsor of the Niagara Community Center Association's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday Celebration Luncheon, where she also served as the President of the Board of Directors and she has also served as Chairwoman of the Niagara County Black Achiever Awards Banquet.

The former Miss Greater Niagara, and former moderator of her own cable television show, "The Renae Kimble Report," she believes in giving back to the community and has donated thousands of dollars for many noteworthy programs such as: a sponsor of the Niagara County Black Achiever's Committee NOVA Scholarship, providing $2,500 in college scholarships. She has also donated money to assist women who were victims of domestic violence, assisting them in obtaining legal representation, housing and employment.

She is the former sponsor of the Niagara Falls Housing Authority's Pre-Thanksgiving Day Dinner which has served thousands of our city's residents a wholesome meal; a co-sponsor of the Niagara Community Center's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Luncheon Celebration; contributor to the Lord's Day Dinner; a sponsor of programs and awards for the Niagara County Senior Citizens Nutrition Program (formerly the Chat and Chew Program) of the St. John African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church; and the Niagara Christian Basketball "Beyond Borders" Program.

On February 24, 2012, Ms. Kimble was appointed by former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on the recommendation of former New York State Assemblyman John Ceretto to serve as the first African American member of the Niagara Falls Water Board, Board of Directors. She currently serves as the Vice Chairwoman of the Niagara Falls Water Board, Chairwoman of the Governance/Administration Committee, and is the former Chairwoman of the Personnel Committee.

She also served as a former President and Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the lsaiah 61 Project. Isaiah 61's mission is "Reclaiming a city one home, one family and one person at a time," by equipping residents with the knowledge and skills to rehabilitate houses which rebuilds their lives as well as rebuilds the community through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Renae is the former Chairwoman of the Niagara Falls Democratic Committee for the former Second Legislative District, former representative of the Second Legislative District Niagara County Committee and is currently a member of the North Tonawanda City Democratic Committee. Ms. Kimble was appointed in October 2018 by the Niagara County Community College (NCCC) Board of Trustees to serve a member of the (NCCC) Presidential Search Committee.

Minister Dr. Renae Kimble is a member of Dominion Life Christian Center where she served as a former Deaconess and currently serves as the Board Chairwoman and the Treasurer of the church. Renae is a sponsor the church's Lion of Judah Awards Banquet which honors members of the Western New York Church community for religious and community service. On Sunday, November 13,2016, she was ordained as a licensed Minister of the Gospel for Dominion Life Christian Center by her pastors, Drs. Kenneth and Sandra Cobham.

Ms. Kimble is the recipient of numerous awards including the Niagara County Community College Distinguished Alumni Award, Every Woman Opportunity Center Award of Excellence, President's Award from the Niagara County Black Achiever's Committee, Lion of Judah Award from Dominion Life Christian Center, Niagara County Legislature Chairman's Community Service and Leadership Award, Uncrowned Queens African American Women Western New York, the Rev .Edgar L. Huff Award from St. John AME Church, Outstanding Community Service Award from the Sanctuary Temple, COGIC, Lockport, NY, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award from the Niagara Community Center Association, Board Member of the Year Award from the Niagara Community Center Association, Women of Accomplishment from the Women's Pavilion PAN AM Project, Niagara County Democratic Party's Frederick L. Brown Community Service Award, Niagara County Conservative Party's Outstanding Community Service Award, the Community Service Award from The Buffalo Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, God's Woman, "l Shall Wear a Crown" Award, and two retirement celebrations entitled, " One In A Million Tribute to Renae Kimble", and "An Eagle for Justice" Community Celebration, for public service as a member of the Niagara County Legislature from members of the Niagara County community.

Ms. Kimble was a former Instructor for the Niagara Falls Housing Authority's Advantage After-School Program. She taught students in middle and high schools about the political process, voter registration, voter education and voter participation. She was also the former Project Coordinator for the Cancer Services Program of Niagara County, Risk Manager for the City of Niagara Falls, and Director of the Human Rights Commission for the City of Niagara Falls.

A loving and committed daughter, she retired from the Niagara County Legislature to assume the full-time role as the primary caregiver for her father, Theodis Kimble and mother, Lillie Kimble (now deceased).