Rebecca Merlin is a dedicated leader, mentor, and talent development professional whose career reflects a deep commitment to people, growth, and opportunity.
She serves as a Recruiting Director for Waffle House, where she oversees the recruiting, hiring, training, and development of management teams across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida, as well as Baldwin County, Alabama. Since beginning her career with Waffle House in 1996, Merlin has built a reputation for identifying potential in others and helping individuals grow into leadership roles.
A native of Pensacola, Merlin’s path to success was not traditional. Raised in an environment where higher education was not an expectation, she developed a quiet determination to create a different future for herself. She enrolled at Pensacola State College — then Pensacola Junior College — pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. While navigating the challenges of balancing life, work, and school, she embraced the opportunities before her, even when the path forward was uncertain.
Years later, Merlin made the decision to return to college, completing her Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Management in 2017. This accomplishment marked not only the completion of a long-held goal but also a personal commitment to growth and perseverance. A phrase she once read on campus, “Shoot for the moon and you’ll land among the stars,” became a guiding principle that would ultimately reflect her own journey.
Throughout her career, Merlin has been shaped by the influence of mentors, educators, and colleagues who recognized her potential early on. Those experiences instilled in her a passion for developing others. In her leadership role today, she is known for investing in people, creating pathways for advancement, and fostering environments where individuals feel seen, supported, and capable of achieving more than they imagined.
Her work extends beyond operational success; it is rooted in purpose. Merlin believes that where a person begins does not define where they can go, and she consistently works to reinforce that belief in those she leads. Whether guiding a new hire or mentoring an emerging leader, she is committed to opening doors and helping others realize their potential.
Merlin’s story is one of resilience, faith, and determination. It is defined not only by her professional achievements but by her unwavering dedication to lifting others along the way, demonstrating that with perseverance and support, extraordinary outcomes are possible.
Lane Harper is an accomplished business leader and entrepreneur whose career reflects a sustained commitment to innovation, leadership, and community engagement. A 1984 graduate of the University of West Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, Harper has spent more than four decades building a reputation for strategic growth, operational excellence, and people-centered leadership within the office products industry.
Carol Carlan has consistently embraced opportunities requiring vision, courage, and the ability to unite others around a shared purpose, from becoming the first female president of a regional bank to leading one of the region’s most significant healthcare capital campaigns. With more than four decades of executive leadership spanning banking, healthcare, philanthropy, and community service, her career has been defined by one constant: growth — of people, organizations, and communities. Carlan currently serves as Director of Philanthropy for the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), where she advances a mission she deeply believes in — advancing the human condition through science and innovation. In this role, she leads efforts to expand national and community-wide support for IHMC’s groundbreaking research and outreach initiatives. Her connection to IHMC began in 2004 when she was appointed inaugural Board Chair, making her work today especially meaningful. She holds the honor as Inaugural Chair Emeritus and is a founding member of the Dr. Ken Ford Founder’s Circle.
W. George Gaines is an accomplished researcher, scholar-educator, and global business executive with nearly 50 years of experience in applied research, teaching, and strategic leadership. Throughout his distinguished career, Gaines has delivered mission-critical insights across industries, leading market research and consumer intelligence initiatives on six continents.
