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=== Vice-chair elect (2) Tom Merrill ===
[[Image:Tom_Merrill.jpg]]

Tom Merrill is a professor with the LSU AgCenter in its Communications unit in Baton Rouge, where he’s worked for the past 23 years. His primary responsibilities involve news writing, editing and the Web.

He’s been involved personally in diversity, inclusivity and social justice issues for more than 20 years through his involvement and leadership in such groups as Metropolitan Community Churches and PFLAG. That interest crossed over into his professional life around 1998 when he was assigned as the writer for the group working on a “Diversity Vision Statement” for the LSU AgCenter.

He’s been involved professionally with the LSU AgCenter’s diversity initiative since that time – serving as a member of its Diversity Council, chair of its Community Outreach Action Group, a senior trainer in its diversity education program for faculty and staff and a variety of other capacities. He also was recognized in 2000 with the LSU AgCenter Diversity Initiative Award for Excellence and has received other recognition for his involvement in efforts designed to extend the AgCenter’s service to nontraditional clientele and to assist faculty and staff members in making that happen. In more recent years, he’s also become involved in the LSU initiative known as Safe Space, which is designed to help faculty and staff develop a broader understanding about GLBT students and to offer “safe spaces” for those students to voice concerns, as well as learn. He serves as the AgCenter’s liaison to that initiative and as a Safe Space trainer.

As for ACE, Merrill served as the Southern Region director from 2005 through 2007 and also has served on its Professional Development Committee and its Development Fund Committee. He’s a longtime member of the Writing, Media Relations, Publishing and Marketing SIGs, and because of his interest in diversity, he joined the Diversity SIG when it was formed. Winner of a variety of ACE C&A awards, he most recently received the ACE Media Relations Award of Excellence for 2007.