ZimmComm – New Media, LLC

Co-Founders and Partners

Chuck Zimmerman, President – Chuck, or @agriblogger as he is known on Twitter, is the tech-wiz and social media guru of ZimmComm.  He has been in agricultural communications since 1985 when he joined the staff of Florida Farm Bureau as broadcast manager.   With his wife Cindy and a partner, he co-founded what is now known as Southeast Agnet in Florida.  In 1992, he moved to Missouri to manage the Brownfield Network, and in 2004 started ZimmComm New Media.  He is a 1980 graduate of the University of Florida College of Journalism.  Chuck and his wife Cindy have three children and live near the state capitol of Missouri in the town of Holts Summit.


Cindy Zimmerman, Vice President – Cindy is @farmpodcaster on Twitter and is the more creative half of ZimmComm.  As Chuck’s wife and partner and mother of their three lovely daughters, Cindy manages the home office and serves as the primary editor of Domestic Fuel when she is not on the road covering ag and biofuel related events.  Her background in farm broadcasting is nearly identical to Chuck’s – 1980 UF graduate, starting in farm broadcasting at Florida Farm Bureau, co-founding Southeast Agnet, and working at Brownfield Network.  She loves working with her husband, writing and photography.

Sales and Web Design

Dave Larson, Sales Rep – Dave is President of Larson Enterprises, a full service advertising, marketing and consulting firm located in West Des Moines, Iowa.  Dave has over 25 years of advertising, marketing, public relations and public policy experience with both public and private sector clients including national and international trade associations in food safety, agriculture, recreation and legal fields.  Dave is married to Jolene and they have six children.  He joined the ZimmComm team in 2009.

Robert the Web Guru – We’re not going to tell you his last name or where he lives because we want to keep him all for ourselves!  Call us selfish, but Robert is our creative genius and we need him to keep making us look good.  He is relatively young (compared to us), has a lovely wife and three darling children.  All of the original graphic art you see on any ZimmComm website, as well as sites built by ZimmComm, came out of Robert’s creative mind.

Contributing Reporters

John Davis – John is an Iowa native and veteran journalist with more than 25 years experience in broadcast, print and new media.  John was a broadcast journalist with the U.S Air Force for 11 years before being hired by Chuck as a reporter for Brownfield Network.  He is now Public Information Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, while also reporting, blogging and podcasting for ZimmComm.  John and his wife Jennifer live in Jefferson City, MO and have two sons.

Joanna Schroeder – Another Iowa native on the ZimmComm team, Joanna is currently living on a fruit and vegetable operation near Santa Barbra, California.  She is a graduate of Iowa State University with over 15 years experience in communications and public relations.  Joanna served as communications director for the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council and now has her own communications company and is part of the ZimmComm team as book reviewer, blogger and on-site reporter. 

Melissa Slagle – Melissa became acquainted with ZimmComm when she worked for BCS Communications in Kansas City.  When she moved to Denver to work for the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, she became a freelance contributor for Agwired’s daily Zimfo Bytes and for the Missouri Beef Industry Council blog.  Moving to Nebraska with her husband and son, Melissa has now become a consultant for CBB and will be doing more freelance ZimmComm work.

Michelle Kautz – Michelle is ZimmComm’s E85 specialist on Domestic Fuel, and she also helps us get promotional materials produced.  She started doing freelance work for us when she was with the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, which has since become part of Growth Energy.  A 1998 graduate of Missouri State University with a degree in communications, Michelle is married with one stepson.  She and her husband Chad own Mexicali Blues and live in Lake Ozark, MO.