Clark M. Merkley brings more than three decades of executive leadership, legal expertise, and organizational governance experience
Board Member
Clark M. Merkley brings more than three decades of executive leadership, legal expertise, and organizational governance experience to his service with the Self Reliance Empowerment Foundation (SREF).
His career spans nonprofit leadership, corporate operations, human resources, healthcare administration, and education, with a consistent focus on building strong institutions, ethical governance, and sustainable growth.
Clark has served in senior executive roles including Executive Director of BootUp Professional Development, where he led a national nonprofit advancing equity and access in computer science education, and Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Emerald Data Solutions, guiding the company through rapid growth, regulatory complexity, and a successful acquisition.
He has also held presidential and vice-presidential roles in large, multi-state organizations, overseeing finance, human resources, compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic planning for enterprises managing thousands of employees and multimillion-dollar budgets.
An attorney by training, Clark earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and an M.B.A. in Health Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is deeply committed to community service, adult literacy, youth development, and education, having served on numerous nonprofit boards and civic organizations.
At SREF, Clark contributes seasoned governance insight, strategic discipline, and a passion for empowering individuals and communities toward self-reliance and long-term impact.
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