Zimmiz Hair Designers, located in Ponte Vedra Beach, is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Mark and Donna Zimmerman opened the salon in 1986, and Donna continued to run the salon even after her husband passed away.
Lizzie Baer, daughter of long-time Channel 4 news anchor Mary Baer, got her first haircut at Zimmiz when she was about a year old.
“I was basically raised in the salon. I would come in with my mom every time she would get her hair done,” said Baer.
As she was expecting her first child, Baer decided it was time to figure out what direction she wanted her life to go in. Donna Zimmerman told her she should go to cosmetology school.
“At that point, I was cutting my own hair and my friends’ hair. It was just so fun for me that it never registered I could make money doing that,” said Baer.
After cosmetology school, Baer eventually ended up back at Zimmiz working as a stylist.
Baer never had dreams of owning her own salon; however, as Zimmerman started to get closer to retirement questions about who would take over the salon started to arise.
“The idea of the salon closing or being owned by someone else didn’t feel right to me,” said Baer.
Zimmerman loved the idea of Baer taking over the salon, and in October 2025 Baer officially became the new owner of Zimmiz.
“Everything lined up perfectly; it was fate,” said Baer.
One thing that makes Zimmiz unique is its commitment to education. The salon hires assistants who are either still in cosmetology school or have just graduated to learn alongside their experienced stylists.
“Every stylist is paired with mentors throughout their training because we believe education is best learned in a supportive environment. We want our newer stylists to feel comfortable asking questions, making mistakes, and growing with guidance rather than being expected to know everything immediately,” said Baer.
Zimmiz also believes that education doesn’t stop once a student graduates. The entire team continues to attend classes, in-salon training, brand education and industry events throughout the year.
Baer said the education of her stylists is so important to her because protecting the legacy of Zimmiz is important.
“Donna and Mark made something so incredible that has been a part of our community for so long, and it is my responsibility to carry on what they started,” she said.
