Maureen Merrill

Maureen Merrill, principal of Harris Merrill Speech Coaching in Santa Rosa, California, is a leader in Rotary International and several other community and civic groups. A former business writer and past elected city council member with many years of public speaking experience, her clients include organizational leaders, candidates for public office, job applicants, frequent speakers and anxious speakers.

In addition to group workshops on speaking skills, Maureen facilitates board retreats, team communication workshops, and seminars in leadership communication.

With an M.A. in Psychology and as a graduate of the Myers-Briggs certification course, Maureen understands how to help clients identify and use their individual communication styles for presentation success. A longtime interest in leadership development has persuaded Maureen that speaking and presentation confidence is a major key to success in life, work, relationship building and personal accomplishment.

• Co-author of T is for Talk and Executive Image Power.
• Director, Self-Development & Finishing, Julie Nation Academy
• District-Governor Designate for Rotary International
• Faculty, Rotary Leadership Institute and Institute for Leadership
• Member, Honorary Board of Directors, Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
• Trustee, Windsor Boys and Girls Club
• Past President, Rotary Club of Windsor
• Past member of Sonoma County Transportation Authority
• Co-owner, Caro's Clothing and Consignments, a retail store
• Personal interests: travel, bicycling, Spanish study, painting, reading, writing.

Jeffrey P. Harris

Jeffrey P. Harris has extensive knowledge and experience in leadership and management training fields and leads programs, workshops and seminars in these areas. He also provides communication effectiveness training for business and professionals.

• California Teaching Credential, Audiometrist, Certified by American Speech and Hearing Association, Calif. Comm. College Instructor Credential.
• Award for Continuing Education, American Speech-Language Association.
• Speech-Language Pathologist.
• M.A., San Diego State University, Speech Pathology and Audiology; B.A., San Diego State University, Speech Pathology and Audiology.
• Designer and leaders of training programs including FLEX technology, effective personal leadership, time management, motivational management, communication dynamics, and customer service.
• Certified in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; assessment tool for organizations and team building.
• Extensive post-graduate work, Organizational Psychology

Carolina Sánchez

Carolina is a graduate of the University of San Francisco, with a B.S. in International Business. Carolina assists with workshops, consults with us in cross-cultural communication issues, and keeps our books. She is also interning as a coach-trainee specializing in confidence development for younger speakers. A native of Nayarit, Mexico, Carolina speaks both Spanish and English. She has a particular interest in facilitating teamwork and is currently participating with Julie Nation Academy's self-development course.

Michael W. Harkins

Michael W. Harkins is a creative professional, with thirty years experience as a writer, editor, performer and artist. His work and clients include projects for many well known corporations and businesses, including Wells Fargo, FORTUNE magazine and Schwinn Bicycles, as well as entertainment projects, including concert video work for Bruce Springsteen, feature writing for NorthBay Biz magazine and commentary for National Public Radio's All Things Considered. Over the course of his career he has produced live events and major video productions for corporations and entertainers and performed as an actor, public speaker and musician. In addition to his consulting work with Harris/Merrill, he presents seminars on writing, editing and public speaking skills, devotes volunteer time to the American Red Cross, and is a hawk watcher and docent for the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, a volunteer organization which tracks the West Coast fall raptor migration.