Dr. Akindotun Merino, PhD

Dr. Akindotun Merino, PhD has spent more than two decades at the intersection of public health systems, government program leadership, and international development — building programs that don't just deliver services but transform the systems behind them.

Her career spans some of the most demanding program environments in the world. As Mental Health Commissioner for San Bernardino County for 13 years, she advised the Board of Supervisors on a $130M public mental health budget, drove policy reform, and provided executive oversight for programs serving 500,000+ residents. As Vice President of Academic Affairs and Campus Dean at Argosy University, she directed multi-campus operations, led accreditation compliance, and managed cross-functional teams across two sites.

As CEO and President of Jars Education Group, she scaled international training programs to reach 10,000+ participants across three continents — growing global collaborations by 85%. Her international program portfolio spans Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

As Founder of the African Trauma Care Alliance, she built Africa's leading trauma organization from the ground up — directing advocacy, research, and multi-country program interventions now impacting 20 million+ citizens. As Principal Investigator for the WHO-funded African Trauma Recovery Initiative, she led research design, multi-country stakeholder coordination, and program deliverable management at the highest level of international program governance.

She is the developer of the Kadaasile Trauma Healing Model — a globally recognized, culturally grounded framework now used by practitioners, organizations, and governments across multiple countries — and the author of Trauma Recovery: An African Global Lens and several additional titles. Her work has been cited in The Lancet and The Guardian and featured on CNN Africa.

Recognized by the California Assembly Legislature as Woman of Distinction and by the California State Legislature as Woman of the Year, Dr. Merino brings to every engagement what two decades of systems-level leadership has refined — the ability to see the whole picture, manage the complex middle, and deliver results that last.

She is currently available for remote Senior Program Manager and Program Director contracts, and executive consulting engagements in global health, behavioral health, federal programs, and higher education.