Landry Merkison

Landry D. Merkison is an accomplished public sector executive with more than three decades of lleadership in municipal government, public safety, organizational transformation, and strategic operations. He currently serves as Chief Operations Officer for Clayton County Public Schools, providing executive leadership for one of Georgia’s largest school districts. His appointment represents a meaningful return home, as a proud graduate of Clayton County Public Schools and North Clayton Senior High School, where his lifelong commitment to serving Clayton County first began.

Prior to joining Clayton County Public Schools, Merkison served as City Manager for the City of Morrow, Georgia. Within his first 100 days, he led a comprehensive effort to stabilize the City’s organizational structure and financial position, implementing operational improvements, strengthening fiscal accountability, and restoring confidence in the City’s long-term strategic direction. His leadership established a foundation for sustainable growth while positioning Morrow for future economic development and infrastructure investment.

Earlier in his career, Merkison held several executive leadership positions with Clayton County Government, including Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Chief of Staff, Chief Resilience Officer, Fire Chief, EMS Director, and Director of Emergency Management. Throughout his career, he has successfully led complex organizational change, secured more than $35 million in state and federal funding, directed major capital improvement and SPLOST programs, and developed innovative public policies recognized at the local, state, and national levels.

As Fire Chief, Merkison guided Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services to achieve an ISO Class 1 rating and international accreditation, placing the department among the nation’s highest-performing fire agencies. He also pioneered workforce development initiatives that created career pathways for high school students entering emergency services and introduced nationally recognized innovations in community healthcare and emergency response.

A respected leader known for building high-performing organizations, Merkison has served on numerous local and statewide boards and commissions, including the Southern Regional Medical Center Board of Directors and the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council through a gubernatorial appointment. He is widely recognized for his collaborative leadership style, commitment to public service, and ability to bring together government, education, healthcare, and community partners to deliver transformational results.

Merkison earned a Bachelor of Science in Fire Administration, graduating summa cum
laude, and a Master of Business Administration in Public Administration from Columbia Southern University.