Phillip Merlo is a historian and educator who serves as the Executive Director of the San Joaquin County Historical Society & Museum. In this role, Phillip leads efforts to preserve and showcase the county’s rich and diverse histories, empower youth through education, and platform many nationally significant narratives of San Joaquin County.

 

A fifth-generation Stocktonian and UC Berkeley alumnus, Phillip holds a strong commitment to improving cultural and economic infrastructure in the region, serving on the Stockton Cultural Heritage Board and sitting on the boards of Little Manila Rising and the United Way of San Joaquin County. His research focuses on the histories of diaspora, segregation, labor, and economic development in California’s Central Valley — all of which inform his passion for using history as a tool for community empowerment and transformation.