Chiropractor Rion Zimmerman to take the reins as chairman of chamber board

Though technically a resident of East Altadena, Rion Zimmerman, chiropractor and owner of Flintridge Family Chiropractic, is and will always be considered one of La Cañada’s native sons.

He grew up in town, attended Paradise Canyon Elementary and graduated in 1997 from La Cañada High School, where he played on the soccer team under Coach Louie Bilowitz.

As a child, Zimmerman spent a lot of time in the company of maternal grandfather Jack Simison, a celebrated mid-century architect who worked from an office in town. His grandmother, Sylvia, still lives in the family home, and mom Dayl lives not too far away.

So in 2008, when the chiropractor was thinking of opening up a family practice, he looked no further than La Cañada.

“I couldn’t think of any place better than La Cañada to be. The family’s been in the community a long time, so for me it was just a natural move,” Zimmerman said in a recent interview.

He leased a space in the same building where his grandfather had plied his trade decades earlier — part of a property owned by the family. While businesses across the nation struggled to stay afloat in the early years of the Great Recession, Zimmerman’s small practice thrived.

The doctor credits the people of La Cañada and the solid relationships his family built in the community for his success in the early years.

As a third-generation small business owner with a keen eye on giving back, one of the first things Zimmerman did after setting up shop was to join the La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce and Community Assn. Quickly, he was asked by the chamber’s chief executive, Pat Anderson, to join the board.

“It’s just a way of allowing the businesses to connect with the community,” he said of the group’s aim. “La Cañada is a very family-oriented, close-knit community, and so we try to resonate with that on the chamber.”

On Jan. 28, Zimmerman will be officially installed as chairman of the chamber’s board in the organization’s 104th Installation and Awards Gala, to be held at the La Cañada Flintridge Country Club.

Zimmerman said he was surprised to learn of his election but fellow board members saw the doctor as an obvious candidate, according to childhood friend and chamber board member Orlando Sanchez, owner of La Cañada’s Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu.

“He’s dedicated so much time over the years, and he’s developed such a strong business in the community, so it was a no-brainer,” Sanchez said of the decision.

Sylvia Simison said the entire family is proud of Zimmerman and all he’s accomplished, from starting a business to raising a young family with wife Jacqueline. The parents of 4-year-old son Nash, the couple welcomed a newborn daughter, Navy, into the world on Nov. 30.

“He’s very ambitious, but he’s a caring person. And he knows what he’s doing,” Simison said of her grandson, who also happens to be her chiropractor. “I go to him — the whole family goes to him.”

Zimmerman hopes his personal passion for communications and marketing might be useful to the board during his term, as the chamber continues to build inroads into the local business community and expands the presence of member businesses through social media platforms.

“It’s my creative outlet,” he said. “I just enjoy it, and what I’ve been doing has been working for me, so hopefully we can do something similar with the chamber.”

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Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine