Jimmy Van Bramer is a lifelong resident of Western Queens and the son of two active union members. While growing up Jimmy sometimes followed his stepfather, a public-school custodian, to work. As he watched his stepfather polish classroom floors and scrub desks so that children and teachers could have a clean learning space, Jimmy learned the importance of hard work, and the powerful impact that small efforts can have on working people's lives. Jimmy has carried those lessons throughout his life.

Jimmy's career has been devoted to making our community stronger and making life better for Queens families like the one he grew up in. Currently, he serves as the Chief External Affairs Officer of the Queens Public Library. As the library's link between community members and government, Jimmy works to protect and expand important library services, such as after-school programs and English language classes. He also leads members of the Queens community on annual trips to Albany and Washington, D.C. to help them make their voices heard by government officials. Jimmy also works to improve our neighborhoods outside of his job, by serving as a member of Community Board Two and its Land Use Committee.

Before joining the leadership of the Queens Borough Public Library, Jimmy fought to protect the rights of regular people in the democratic process by working on the Clean Money, Clean Elections campaign. As the organization's Deputy Field Director, Jimmy brought together Queens community leaders and working people from every walk of life to win important changes in election laws. Jimmy has also worked as a reporter for Lesbian and Gay New York (LGNY), now Gay City News, a community newspaper, where he brought attention to the AIDS epidemic and bias/hate crimes.

The ideals that Jimmy has worked for over his entire career--respect for working people, equality for all, and the importance of improving quality of life in our community--were instilled in him by his family and strong Catholic upbringing here in Queens. His father, William Van Bramer, was a lifelong member of Printers' and Pressman's Union Local 2. Elizabeth Van Bramer, Jimmy's mother, helped support the family by taking a variety of jobs in their neighborhood, and she was a member of Local 1893 of the International Brotherhood of Painters.

Jimmy is proud to have been educated in Queens' public schools. He graduated from P.S. 70, J.H.S. 10, and William Cullen Bryant High School. Jimmy then worked his way through St. John's University, where he was active in campus politics and served as president of the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Alliance.

Jimmy currently lives in Sunnyside Gardens with Dan, his partner of ten years. He represents his neighborhood on the New York State Democratic Committee. Additionally, he is the President of the West Queens Independent Democratic Club and a member of the Board of Directors of the Ridgewood Democratic Club.