Since her family relocated to Kansas City in the early 1980s, Kimiko Black Gilmore has fallen in love with the city. She’s dedicated her career to the Kansas City community, and currently holds the dual role of deputy city manager and executive director of convention and entertainment facilities in her third stint working for the City of Kansas City, MO. While Kansas City has made strides under her watch, it wouldn’t have been possible if not for her time serving through Imani House and Swope Community Builders.
Where it all began
One Sunday in 1993, Gilmore was speaking with Reverend Emanuel Cleaver II at St. James United Methodist Church and mentioned that she was pursuing new job opportunities. He connected her with his wife, Dianne Cleaver, who was a mental health director at Swope Health at the time. Thanks to the Cleaver’s, Gilmore became the first case manager at Imani House – Swope Health’s substance use disorder outpatient treatment center.
“When I look back at my career, I feel that Dianne and Reverend Cleaver were a huge part of it,” Gilmore said. “I had worked at a substance abuse organization in Kansas and at MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault), and I’m not sure if I would have continued in this field if not for them.”
With the official title of substance abuse case manager, Gilmore crafted the position and enjoyed the staff of counselors she worked alongside. The tight-knit group had a mixture of older and younger professionals, all of whom learned from one another. Gilmore stayed at Imani House for three years.
“At Imani House, I learned how important the community is to your health and wellbeing because when your community is broken, it leaves you at risk to be broken, as well,” she said. “I worked with individual patients and substance abuse groups, which included patients’ families. I loved how individuals would leave Imani House at their strongest because they were willing to come in and work through their issues.”
Exploring her options
Following her tenure at Imani House, Gilmore was looking for a change, so she joined the Navy Reserves for four years. That led to her working in cryptology, which is the study and practice of secure communication.
“I have fond memories of my time as a cryptologist in the Navy, but I didn’t make a career out of it,” Gilmore said. “I got married and initially moved to Jacksonville, Florida, then to New Orleans, Louisiana. When our parents were both ill, we moved back to Kansas City, and I started working for the Gore-Lieberman campaign.”
Gilmore’s first position for the City of Kansas City was in 2000 when she was an aide to Councilman Terry Riley. She served there for three years, then returned to a familiar area as the Community Relations Director for Swope Community Builders – now known as Community Builders of Kansas City.
“We were a one-stop shop that worked with the neighborhoods doing cleanups and trainings. We made sure that the community understood what we were trying to do, that we didn’t make promises we couldn’t keep, and that we advocated for the neighborhoods at City Hall,” she said.
The Shops on Blue Parkway, the Mt. Cleveland Townhomes, and the Twin Elms Apartments are a few of the developments that Gilmore helped establish. While she never technically worked for Swope Health, she always felt connected to the health center.
“E. Frank Ellis did a good job in making sure that each organization under that umbrella felt like they were a cohesive group,” Gilmore said. “Swope Health is a trusted partner in Kansas City, specifically on the east side, and it felt like family.”
Back to the City of Kansas City
Gilmore left Swope Community Builders in 2006 to be Senator Claire McCaskill’s Deputy Regional Director. Two years later, she returned to the City of Kansas City.
“I had an opportunity to return to the city as the assistant to the city manager under Wayne Cauthen. I wasn’t thinking about leaving the senator, but I knew what the new position would do for my career, and it was like the previous roles that I had at that point,” she said.
Eventually, Troy Shulte became the city manager and promoted Gilmore to assistant city manager. She held that role for nearly six-and-a-half years and left to be chief of staff at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2018.
“I was one of the UMKC alumni who brought In Dr. C. Mauli Agrawal as the new chancellor. We hadn’t really spoken before he got the offer, but he wanted me on his cabinet,” Gilmore said. “I told him that I hadn’t worked in academia before and I wouldn’t know where to start, but he’s a persuader; I accepted, and worked there for more than two years.”
Once again, Gilmore returned to the City of Kansas City in 2021. She began as deputy city manager and added executive director of convention and entertainment facilities in 2022 to her job duties.
“We’re thriving as a city right now, and we’re on a trajectory that nobody would have imagined 10 or 15 years ago,” she said. “I’m excited about that and can circle that back to when I was with Swope Health and truly understood what and who Kansas City is. Swope Health makes prosperity equitable through providing health and development. If we could clone that around the city, we would be in a great place.”
