Deborah Thedford-Zimmerman: Hard at Work — In Retirement

By Javacia Harris Bowser | For the Birmingham Times Ask Deborah Thedford-Zimmerman what she does in a typical week, and it will be hard to believe that she’s retired. Thedford-Zimmerman, who has been recognized as one of the top nurses in Alabama, retired in 2017 – but her busy schedule shows she’s still hard at work. She’s deeply involved with the Birmingham Black Nurses Association, organizes health-related activities for her church, Rising Star Baptist Church in Rising-West Princeton, and volunteers with a host of other local organizations, including Brenda’s Brown Bosom Buddies, which offers breast cancer education and support for Black women and other underserved communities. “When I was in kindergarten, my teacher would always say, ‘Give to the world the best that you have, and the best will come back to you,’ and it is so true,” Thedford-Zimmerman told The Birmingham Times. “If you give of yourself, you can’t help but be rewarded.” In 2021, Thedford-Zimmerman, a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Lawson State Community College, was selected as Volunteer of the Year by the UAB National Alumni Society. That same year she was also recognized by This is Alabama, Alabama Media Group and the...