Melinda Merrill has more than 25 years of experience in government relations and public relations for clients throughout the Pacific Northwest. She provides her clients with advocacy in local, state, and federal government as well as media, reputational, and crisis communications counseling.

Melinda is the Idaho representative for the Northwest Grocery Association and is also a partner in Eiguren Merrill Public Policy. Before moving to Boise in 2016, she spent more than a decade at Fred Meyer and QFC Stores – the two Northwest divisions of The Kroger Co. – where she was media spokesperson and managed government affairs at the state and federal level for more than 200 stores in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. She also developed strategy for and implemented Fred Meyer’s and QFC’s multi-million-dollar donations, sponsorship, community relations, and employee volunteer programs in the four states.

Melinda is adept at assisting clients in developing strategy for and achieving their goals at the local, state, and federal levels of government. She also has experience providing reputational management for clients facing issues including taxes and fees, labor relations issues, real estate siting and planning issues, product recalls and importation of goods.

Prior to The Kroger Co., Melinda spent eight years in the Portland office of the international public relations and public affairs firm Hill & Knowlton. There she provided government affairs counseling as well as reputation and crisis management for clients ranging from grocers, cell phone service providers, economic development organizations, convention and visitors bureaus, electric utilities, and the maritime industry.

Merrill earned her M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from Kent State University, and a B.A. in Journalism with a broadcast emphasis from the University of Montana. She currently serves on the board of the American Red Cross of Greater Idaho and is chair of the Outreach and Community Volunteer committees and serves on the Legislative Committee of the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry. She has served on the Association of Washington Business Executive Committee; the board of Oregon Food Bank, as chair of its Advocacy Committee; and as president of the Board of the Oregon/SW Washington Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She lives in Meridian with her husband and their cat and dog. She enjoys camping, golfing, reading, and traveling.