Our Team

Founded in 1993

From Crisis Management to Government Relations and everything in between, our staff has been involved in some of the nations toughest challenges, and we continue to help our clients just like we did when we started.

President

Sharon Merchant

President

Ms. Merchant brings 30 years of public and private leadership experience as a Member of the Florida House of Representatives and President of The Merchant Strategy (TMS) offering clients public involvement, governmental relations, and community relations services.

Chief Operating Officer

Cheryl Scott

Chief Operating Officer

Cheryl is responsible for all operational processes and procedures. Her 20 plus years of administrative and management experience makes her a valuable asset to TMS. She provides project management on all public involvement projects, leads the project team, creates, and maintains project schedules.  She pursues new opportunities and keeps the prospect pipelines up to date. She is responsible for contract administration.  All critical office decisions are made with input from Cheryl.

Business Development & Public Involvement Specialist

Sammie Brown

Business Development & Public Involvement Specialist

Sammie is responsible for assisting in all operational and administrative processes and procedures. His experience in municipal government administration makes him a valuable asset to TMS. His community-wide relationships and participation in numerous organizations are helpful in opening doors for our clients.  Sammie supports and assists TMS COO, Cheryl Scott, in public involvement projects, maintaining project schedules and coordinating with the project team.

Administrative Assistant & Public Involvement Specialist

Colleen Hackett

Administrative Assistant & Public Involvement Specialist

Colleen is responsible for assisting in all operational processes and procedures. Her administrative experience makes her a valuable asset to TMS. She handles the calendar for the entire TMS team and schedules all appointments. Colleen supports and assists TMS President, Sharon Merchant, in project management by maintaining project schedules and coordinating with the project team.