Bernie Zimmerman

Bernie Zimmerman, MBA, LCPC, serves as the Operations Director at Zelus Recovery, where he leverages more than three decades of clinical, administrative, and executive leadership experience to strengthen organizational systems, elevate program quality, and enhance the client experience. Known for his collaborative leadership style and ability to bridge clinical insight with operational precision, Bernie ensures that Zelus Recovery delivers exceptional, discreet, and outcomes-driven care to working professionals, young adults, adolescents, and families. Bernie brings a rare combination of licensed clinical expertise and executive business training, holding an Executive MBA and MA Counseling from Boise State University. His career includes senior leadership roles such as Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director, and Managing Partner for nationally recognized therapeutic and behavioral health programs. Across these roles, Bernie has guided organizations through strategic growth, accreditation readiness, program development, fiscal stewardship, and team cultivation. A respected voice in both the clinical and business communities, Bernie has built and directed a range of programs focused on youth development, mental health, leadership training, and early-stage substance-use intervention. His work is grounded in creating safe, stable, and high-functioning environments where clients—and the professionals who support them—can thrive. Bernie is also deeply committed to public service and professional advocacy. He currently serves as a City of Boise Ethics Commissioner and is a Board Member of the Boise State University Alumni Association. As Founder and Director of the nonprofit Tools for the Trail, he advances clinician development and resilience training across the behavioral health field. Outside of work, Bernie enjoys exploring Idaho’s outdoors with his wife and their two bulldogs—finding renewal in mountain trails, riverside walks, and the simple joys of the Treasure Valley.