Jewel Ball – Ellen Zimmer Darling
Ellen Zimmer Darling (Mrs. Albert Darling, Jr.) will serve as chairman of the 60th anniversary jubilee of The Jewel Ball, which will be held on June 21st at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Ellen is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Joseph Zimmer. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Bartlett and the late Mr. and Mrs. Albert William Zimmer. Ellen was a page in The Jewel Ball in 1968 and was a debutante in 1978. Her mother, Mrs. Hugh Joseph Zimmer, served as chairman of the 40th anniversary Jewel Ball in 1993.
Ellen graduated from the Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Trinity University, and a master of business administration degree from Rockhurst College. Ellen is a member of the board of trustees for Rockhurst University and the University of Missouri – Kansas City, where she serves as vice chairman of the Finance Committee and is the chairman-elect. She is a member of the advisory board of directors of Commerce Bank. Ellen has served on the board of directors of Starlight Theatre, Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA), the Work-Study board of Cristo Rey Kansas City, and the Shawnee Mission Medical Center Foundation. She is a member of the Native Sons and Daughters of Greater Kansas City and The Westport Garden Club, where she served on the executive board and as treasurer. She was a member of the Class of 2005 of the Civic Council of Kansas City’s Kansas City Tomorrow Program and served on Shawnee Mission East High School’s East Fund Grant Committee. Ellen currently serves as president and CEO of Zimmer Companies. She succeeded her father in this role, and is the third generation of the Zimmer family to lead the firm. Ellen is also the chief operating officer of Zimmer Real Estate Services.
Ellen and Bert are the parents of two children who participated in The Jewel Ball. Emily Bartlett Darling was a page in 1994 and a debutante in 2008. Albert Curran Darling was a member of the floor committee and an escort in 2010. The Jewel Ball benefits The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kansas City Symphony. Ellen Benson Merriman (Mrs. Michael Atha Merriman) will serve as the vice chairman.
Also featured in the January 11th issue of The Independent
Photo Credit: Strauss Peyton
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