Zimmerman was born in Newark, New Jersey, the oldest of four siblings in a middle-class family.[6] His father manufactured syrups for soft drinks and eventually moved the family to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where Zimmerman graduated high school.[1] In 1978, he graduated with a B.A. in advertising from the University of South Florida and after he was unable to get an advertising job in New York City, returned to USF where he received his MBA in 1980.[7][8] After school, he returned to Fort Lauderdale and started his own agency focusing on the auto industry.[1] In 1984, he founded Zimmerman Advertising.[9]
In 1999, his company joined the Omnicom Group and Zimmerman grew his company through acquisitions purchasing Ad Team, Ad Productions, Beacon Worldwide (a marketer of auto products to dealerships), and in 2004, the public relations and hospitality firm Zimmerman Agency (no relation) located in Tallahassee.[1]
He currently sits on the board of trustees at the University of South Florida and Pine Crest School. He is active in the Palm Beach Jewish Federation, Take Stock in Children, and the Florence Fuller Child Development Center.[1]
Zimmerman has been married four times. His first wife was Amy B Natiss Paul.[citation needed] His second wife was Melissa B Feldman Zimmerman.[citation needed] His third wife was Denise (née Broadrick) Zimmerman[1][11] who was raised Roman Catholic but converted to Judaism, the religion of her husband.[12] Zimmerman has four children, Chase, Cara, Jett, and Jordana.[1][13][14] His fourth wife is Terry Lee Zimmerman.[15] He has homes in Boca Raton, Florida and Westhampton, New York.[1] He is of Jewish descent.[1]
References
^ abcdefghi"Candid & Controversial". Jewish Way Magazine. August 14, 2010. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. "My work is my hobby, so I only allow myself four hours of sleep a night because we have a reputation for producing for our clients," says Zimmerman, 54.
^"Denise Zimmerman". Boca's Ballroom Battle. Denise Zimmerman is a devoted mother to her two children, Jett (11) and Jordana (9), and a very involved member of the Boca Raton community.
