Kimbell was the first Afro-Latina woman County Commissioner of Hillsborough County, Florida. Active in civic affairs, Kimbell also served as president of the Thonotosassa/Seffner Council for Community Affairs. Retiring from the teaching profession after twenty years, Kimbell resumed her interest in politics in 1989 running against and defeating the county’s first African American commissioner, Rubin E. Padgett. Her major interest was to help minority groups in her district. She created the Sylvia Kimbell Symposium on Race Relations which received national acclaim. The goal of the annual symposium was to create a community action against racism, and to encourage political empowerment for all people. The Sylvia Rodríguez Kimbell School was created in her honor.

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