ZTB Celebrates Longtime Friend Jimbo Covert Induction to NFL Hall of Fame
August 13, 2021
It was an evening to remember as ZTB celebrated its longtime friend
and former Chicago Bear, James Paul “Jimbo” Covert, who was inducted into the NFL Hall
of Fame on August 7, 2021.
Paying tribute to Covert, ZTB was one of the sponsor hosts of a pre-enshrinement event held as a
special evening for family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones to celebrate and reflect on his
career achievements both on and off the field.
Covert played college football in his home state at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was
recognized as an All-American. He was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft and played
professionally for the Chicago Bears from 1983 to 1991. A proud part of Chicago history, Covert
was part of the winning Chicago Bears Superbowl XX team that saw the Bears bring home the title in
1985.
During Covert's athletic career, he was named to an All-Pro team three straight years
(1985–1987), a first- or second-team All-NFC selection four times (1985–1987, 1990),
and a first- or second-team All-NFL selection three times.
Following his retirement from the NFL, Covert built an equally successful career in the healthcare
industry, focusing on healthcare sales, marketing, and acquisition initiatives. Beginning his
healthcare career at Baxter International, the original founding Company Partner of ZTB, Covert
first served as Director of Sales and Development in the Physical Therapy Division. He
subsequently held positions as Vice President of Development for Caremark Physical Therapy (a
Baxter spin-off) and Senior Vice President of Development for Horizon/CMS Healthcare Corporation,
before starting Keystone Strategies, LLC, in 2000. He later served as Senior Vice President of
Sales, Marketing, and Development at HealthSouth Corporation and President and Chief Executive
Officer of The Institute for Transfusion Medicine, one of the nation’s foremost non-profit
organizations specializing in transfusion medicine and related services.
“Jimbo has a football career that will long be celebrated as a part of Chicago
history,” ZTB President & CEO Mike Valentine (pictured) said. “His career off the
field is just as meaningful. Those fortunate enough to call Jimbo a friend know that his lifetime
of professional achievements can only be eclipsed by his incredible energy. We are proud to
celebrate the many accomplishments of our longtime friend.”
ZTB was established in 1981 to serve the needs of Baxter’s employees and their families.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, it is one of the fastest growing Credit Union in the
past four decades and serves over 300,000 members across the US and Puerto Rico.
In 2020, ZTB was named a Forbes Best-In-State Credit Union for the second consecutive year,
ranking #1 in Illinois and #5 in Minnesota. Members voted ZTB to the top spot based on overall
satisfaction, trust, service, product offerings, and financial well-being resources.
< Previous Article | Next Article >