Leadership

Collier Merrill

PRESIDENT, OWNER GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANTS

Collier Merrill is the president/owner of Merrill Land Company, a real estate development company, which specializes in commercial real estate, residential and commercial construction as well as condominium and subdivision development along the Northwestern Gulf Coast. He is the president/owner of Great Southern Restaurants which owns and operates The Fish House, Atlas Oyster House, Jackson’s Steakhouse, Five Sisters Blues Café, Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano, The Palafox House, and Great Southern Events. Additionally, Merrill is serves as a stockholder and director of The Gulfarium: A Marine Adventure Park. Merrill is a graduate of the University of West Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management.

Merrill is an active participant in the community, currently serving as Chairman of the University of West Florida Historic Trust. Additionally, he was appointed by Governor Rick Scott to serve on Triumph Gulfcoast of which he serves as Vice Chair. He also serves on the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and board of directors of Ascension Health Florida. Additionally, he is a trustee emeritus of the Pensacola Museum of Art, a member of Christ Church where he serves as a member of the vestry, and a member of the Pensacola Downtown Rotary Club.

Previously, Merrill has served in a number of community leadership roles: chairman of Visit Pensacola overseeing an annual budget of $10 million focusing on tourism and economic development; chairman of the Community Maritime Park Associates which governed and managed a $65 million community development project in downtown Pensacola; chairman of the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; chairman of the Pensacola-Escambia County Promotion and Development Commission; chair of the Destination 2020 Strategic Planning Committee; chairman of the Florida Arts Council; president of the Pensacola Museum of Art; and president of the Home Builders Association of Northwest Florida. He has also served as a member of the boards of the University of West Florida, Pensacola State College Foundation, Catholic Social Services; Pensacola Chapter of the American Red Cross and served as a mentor for Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Additionally, Merrill has served in a number roles related to both public and private community development. Merrill was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to serve as a member of the Board of Regents which governed all of the universities for the State of Florida carrying with it a fiduciary responsibility of $2 billion. After his service on the Board of Regents he was tapped to be the founding chairman of the University of West Florida Board of Trustees (2000-2004) overseeing the successful growth of the University and it’s $150 million annual budget. Merrill was also selected by Governor Rick Scott to serve on the Gulfcoast Consortium.

Merrill has been recognized and named Art Education Hero by the Florida Cultural Alliance, an Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser by the National Society of Fund Raising Professional, and a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, received the Downtown Rotary Club’s Grover Robinson Award for Service, and was named the University of West Florida’s Distinguished Alumni of the Year. In addition, Merrill was a recipient of the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce’s awards for Emerging Leader and Community Leader.

Jean Pierre N’Dione

CO-OWNER, FIVE SISTERS BLUES CAFÉ & ANGELENA’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO

Born in Senegal, West Africa, and raised in Toulouse, France, Jean Pierre moved to New Hampshire in 1998 for nine months to try something new but ending up cutting his stay short from the cold and relocating to sunny Pensacola, Florida. He began his employment at The Fish House as a server in 2001, discovered his passion for the restaurant industry, and only eleven months later was promoted to Service Manager; in 2009 he became the General Manager of The Fish House, Atlas Oyster House, and The Fish House Deck Bar. In January of 2010, Jean Pierre decided to make his residency official, so he applied for and was granted U.S. citizenship; shortly thereafter he graduated from our own University of West Florida with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. When it comes to our restaurants, Jean Pierre’s philosophy is to ensure all of our guests feel welcome and have the most memorable dining experience at Our House.

Steve Eskridge

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANTS

Born in Blue Island, Illinois, and raised in San Diego, California, Steve enlisted in the U.S. Navy upon graduation from high school. He honorably served as a hospital corpsman and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Panama City, Florida. He moved to Pensacola in 1998 and began his employment at The Fish House as a server. He moved quickly up the ranks and accepted the general manager position in 2001. During his tenure, he oversaw the addition of Atlas Oyster House and The Deck Bar, as well as the demolition and subsequent rebuilding of The Fish House due to Hurricane Ivan. In 2009, he was promoted to the prestigious General Manager position at Jackson’s Steakhouse where he led his team to provide exemplary service and an extraordinary fine dining experience. In 2015, he was named Director of Operations for Great Southern Restaurants. Eskridge is dedicated to providing genuine hospitality, making sure our guests receive the highest level of service.

Maria V. Goldberg

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND EVENTS, GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANTS

Maria Goldberg has served as the Director of Marketing, Public Relations and Events for Great Southern Restaurants for fifteen years. Goldberg began her tenure with Great Southern representing Jackson’s Steakhouse. Over the years, her position has expanded to cover The Fish House, Atlas Oyster House, The Deck, Palafox House, Five Sisters Blues Café, Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano, Great Southern Events and Merrill Land Company. Goldberg creates, develops and implements all marketing and promotional efforts on a local, state and national level through print, radio, digital, social and television campaigns. In addition, she coordinates all special event programming and philanthropic giving for the company.

A longtime Pensacolian, prior to joining Great Southern, Goldberg served as the Executive Director of the Pensacola Museum of Art. Goldberg holds a Masters in Arts Administration and continues to be actively involved in the arts as well as in numerous community events and organizations throughout the State of Florida including the Pensacola Museum of Art, Foo Foo Festival, A.C.E.: Arts, Culture, Entertainment Pensacola, IMPACT 100, First City Arts Center, P.O.P: Pensacola Outdoor Projects, University of West Florida’s Historic Trust and Florida Humanities.