Bob Graham Center for Public Service

Formerly the communications director of the Florida Sea Grant College Program, Dorothy Zimmerman has been a communications professional at the University of Florida since 1999. Her professional and personal accomplishments demonstrate an enduring interest in advancing citizens’ awareness of issues, increasing their ability to make knowledgeable decisions and engage with their community. She led one of the national Sea Grant network’s most impactful communications programs, consistently recognized for its innovation and cost-effectiveness. She has also worked in university communications for Texas A&M University and North Carolina State University.

Dorothy will lead a communications program that continues to increase the visibility of the Bob Graham Center programs, engage students with opportunities for civic participation, and build relationships with key audiences.

In 2017 Dorothy was named a UF/IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award winner. She is a long-time member of the Florida Public Relations Association, and has earned her APR and CPRC certifications. From 2018-19, she served as president of the 70-member Sunrise Rotary Club of Gainesville, Fla, where she led community service projects with the Reichert House, Newberry High School, the Ronald McDonald House and the Climb for Cancer Foundation. She is a graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute.

Prior to her arrival at the University of Florida, Dorothy lived in Maracay, Venezuela and Brasilia, Brazil, writing freelance articles for The Caracas Daily Journal, travel magazines and the World Wild Fund for Nature.