Editing Collier Merrill

{{Infobox Biography
| subject_name   =Collier Merrill
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| date_of_birth  =[[October 28]], [[1960]]
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| occupation     =Developer, restaurateur
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| spouse         =
| parents        =[[Will Merrill, Jr.|Will]] & [[Jane Merrill]]
| children       =
}}
'''James Collier Merrill''' (b. [[1960]]) is a real estate developer with his family's [[Merrill Land Company]] and [[J. C. Merrill Investments]], a restaurateur with the [[Great Southern Restaurant Group]], a prominent fundraiser for the [[Republican Party]] and a community leader who serves on a number of local boards.

==Early life & family==
Born on [[October 28]], [[1960]] to [[Will Merrill, Jr.|Will]] and [[Jane Merrill]], Collier attended the [[Pensacola School of Liberal Arts]], where he was receiver on the football team. He attended the University of Alabama, but return to the [[University of West Florida]] for his final year and graduated in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in general management.

==Development and business ventures==
Merrill is the grandson of lumber magnate [[Burney Henderson]] and, with his brothers [[Will Merrill III|Will]] and [[Burney Merrill|Burney]], has leveraged their family's land holdings along the Gulf Coast to develop a number of condominiums, as well as residential subdivisions and other properties.

In [[1998]], the three brothers established the [[Great Southern Restaurant Group]], which has developed the [[Fish House]], [[Atlas Oyster House]] and [[Screaming Coyote]] restaurants, and in [[2008]] purchased [[Jackson's]] restaurant. Their [[Merrill Land Company]] owns a number of historic buildings in [[downtown Pensacola]], including [[Seville Tower]] and the [[Bass Building]]. They have also purchased controlling interests in a 400-employee Oregon sawmill and 21,000 acres of Utah timberland.<ref name="profile"/> 

Collier was part owner in the ''Independent'' weekly newspaper, published by [[Rick Outzen]], which competed with his friend [[Joe Scarborough]]'s ''Florida Sun'' paper before ultimately merging into what is now the ''[[Independent News]]''.

==Politics==
A stalwart Republican since 1989, Merrill initially helped [[Lois Benson]] in her [[1994]] [[Primary election, 1994|Republican primary]] bid before being courted by [[Joe Scarborough]]'s campaign in [[1998]]. The two men became fast friends. According to Scarborough, "I just thought it was a waste for two guys in their 30s who had the opportunity to work together for a long time for the benefit of Northwest Florida not to be working off the same page."<ref name="profile">"Merrill earns praise with his giving style." ''Pensacola News Journal'', October 10, 1999.</ref>

Merrill was introduced to Governor [[Wikipedia:Jeb Bush|Jeb Bush]] through Scarborough, and he became an influential fundraising ally in the predominantly conservative Panhandle. When Scarborough resigned from his Congressional seat in [[2001]], Merrill's name was bandied about as a likely successor, but he declined to run. "I want to keep serving the community," he said. "But I decided that I want to do it from Pensacola instead of Washington."<ref>"Merrill won't try to replace Scarborough." ''Pensacola News Journal'', May 31, 2001.</ref>

In subsequent campaign seasons, Merrill has hosted numerous fundraisers for state and national politicians at his [[Fish House]] restaurant.

==Community involvement==
*[[Wikipedia:Florida Board of Regents|Florida Board of Regents]], appointed [[1998]] by Governor [[Wikipedia:Jeb Bush|Jeb Bush]]
*[[University of West Florida]] [[UWF Board of Trustees|Board of Trustees]], appointed when board was created in [[2001]] and served as chairman from 2001-[[2005]]
*[[Community Maritime Park Associates]], trustee
*Florida Arts Council, chairman {{date needed}}
*[[Home Builders Association of Northwest Florida]], board of directors and past president
*[[Pensacola Museum of Art]], trustee emeritus and past president
*[[Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce]], former board member
*[[Arts Council of Northwest Florida]], board of directors
*[[Sacred Heart Hospital]], advisory board
*[[First Union National Bank]], board of directors
*[[Leadership Pensacola]], alumni board
*[[American Red Cross]], board of directors
*[[Catholic Social Services]], board of directors
*[[Lakeview Foundation]] [[Pensacola Junior College]], executive committee
*[[Emerald Coast Classic]], executive committee. 

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Real estate developers|Merrill, Collier]] [[Category:Restaurateurs|Merrill, Collier]]