Event Director

Director/Manager - Jane Merrill, business owner and resident of San Juan Bautista. Her initial career covered 26 years in Corporate Marketing Management with 3 Silicon Valley giants including Hewlett Packard.

Jane changed paths 15 years ago, applying her skills and experience toward her passion - "traditional western heritage". Utilizing her business planning skills, design management, event production (NY World Trade Center, Hawaii, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Monterey) along with her interest in western fine art, Jane created Southwest Roundup Studio Gallery in addition to a Marketing Management & Consulting business handling selected artists and non-profit organizations who seek expertise related to traditional western art and events.

She has served on Chamber Boards of Directors in 2 counties; affiliated with Agriculture History projects; Visiting Nurse programs and Museums lending expertise in organizational/marketing aspects. Jane is retained by selected artists for marketing and business guidance, and offers design expertise for collateral pieces, web sites and print projects. She is a contributing writer for magazine and promotional publications and continues to operate Southwest Roundup Studio Gallery showcasing handcrafted western art, gear and furnishings.

The original Vaquero Heritage Days 2010 event benefitted Old Mission San Juan Bautista's Preservation Fund. Jane is pleased to announce Vaquero Heritage Days 2012 will benefit the St. Francis Retreat Center on the Historic Rancho San Justo, a significant property from the Mission "Rancho" Era where vaqueros actually lived and worked during the 1800's tending herds of livestock including sheep, cattle and horses. The event will be educational, informative and raise public awareness of San Juan Bautista's history in our California vaquero heritage!