John C. Merchant

 John C. Merchant, a native of Lexington, is a partner in the Cincinnati law firm of Peck, Shaffer, & Williams. For more than 20 years he has been practicing public finance law, providing legal counsel for municipal transactions across the country. He has been admitted to the bar in Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, and the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Peck Shaffer, Mr. Merchant served in several positions in the executive branch of state government. He formerly served as President of the MSU Alumni Association.  He is a Board Member of the New Cities Foundation of the Kentucky League of Cities and a Trustee of the Ohio State Bar Foundation. He maintains memberships in several other professional organizations, including the National Association of Bond Lawyers, Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, and the National Association of Securities Professionals. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from MSU and a law degree from UK.  Mr. Merchant’s term on the MSU board ends in 2015.