John is the Senior Vice President of Community Relations at Chase Manhattan Bank. John is also a graduate of Adelphi University, with certificates from the American Banking Institute and the Boston College's Center for Corporate Community Relations. He has taken creative writing at The New School and is currently studying American Sign Language, along with his wife Joan, who is also a Chase Vice President. John Imperiale feels lucky that Chase has given him the mandate and the freedom to combine the bank's corporate mission of civic involvement with his own brand of activism.
John got into banking as a very young man who just needed a job. His lucky star landed him in the computer room at Midland Marine, where young John quickly mastered ante-diluvian machinery like a "decollater" and other long-gone items. Staying late a few hours each night, he was soon master of his domain, rising to first manager of the lobster shift, and then at the tender age of 21, as manager of the bank's computer operations. Before long, he was traveling to Europe, South America and the Caribbean as an internal controls expert for new computer systems. (This was long before most us of knew a byte from a bialy). At the same time, he was building a civic career, working on issues of improved transportation, crime prevention and many other issues. The executive post in Community Relations has enabled him to pursue this full-time.
John has accrued a mountain of plaques, tributes and banners during his career of community development leadership. These many awards reflect John's commitment to community development, bringing an eclectic view and positive energy to all aspects of civic life, from banking to social services, housing, and youth groups. John believes that, "You can't work only on the infrastructure of jobs and buildings, you have to constantly nurture the creative vitality of every neighborhood, the special spirit that makes it unique.
John has been honored by Brooklyn A News and the staff at Brooklyn A will tell you that John has been a big part of its success, by building its Partnership for Community and Economic Development, bringing technical assistance and financial support to the program, and guiding its advisory Committee as Chair since 1994.
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