Our Team

John David “J.D.” Merrill is an experienced public sector leader, communicator, and project manager who adds capacity and value to every team he is a part of.

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Prior to founding Mangrove Strategies, he served as a teacher, school district leader, and school leader in Baltimore City Public Schools, where he helped lead his school to be the most improved K-8 in Baltimore City. You can read about J.D.'s work in these roles here.

 

Merrill cares deeply about public service and has worked with a number of local and national candidates and causes including Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson's first campaign in 2010 and Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott's first campaign in 2011.

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In 2022, Merrill volunteered with World Central Kitchen in response to Hurricane Ian and was quickly hired as an emergency response contractor, conducting scouting, community outreach, and leading operations and logistics for three food distribution sites in southwest Florida.

 

In 2018, Merrill ran for the Maryland State Senate, knocking on over 50,000 doors, raising more than $220,000 from more than 1,200 contributors, and earning the endorsement of the Baltimore Sun, 21 community leaders, and 7 elected officials on his way to earning 38.7% of the vote. 

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Now, Merrill helps clients and their causes get things done.

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J.D. started his career as a Teach For America corps member, teaching high school social studies at Baltimore City College, the same high school he graduated from (City Forever!). He earned his B.A. in Educational Policy Studies from Davidson College and an M.S. in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

 

J.D. enjoys working out, swimming, playing pickleball, biking, kayaking, exploring nature, picking up trash, and volunteering. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Reach out to J.D. to explore working together.