# Debi Hammond

> Debi Hammond founded Merlot Marketing in 2001 and leads the agency as CEO. Her work spans brand strategy, public relations, advertising and the home and building products industry. A San Jose State advertising graduate and longtime business columnist, she writes about agency leadership, strategic partnerships and the role of human judgment as AI changes communications.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Merlot Marketing
- **Organizations:** Merlot Marketing, Inc., Public Relations Society of America - Montana Chapter, Entrepreneurs’ Organization
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Advertising; minor in Marketing, San Jose State University, Las Plumas High School
- **Known for:** 2020 Women Who Mean Business honoree, Sacramento Business Journal, 2025 Oroville Union High School District Hall of Fame inductee, PR Person of the Year, Sacramento Public Relations Association, as listed in her professional biography

## Career timeline

- **2001** — Founded Merlot Marketing in a bedroom office in Sacramento.
- **2006-2019** — Contributed marketing articles to the Sacramento Business Journal.
- **2017** — Discussed social media, measurable marketing and over-automation in a Comstock’s Q&A.
- **2020** — Recognized as a Sacramento Business Journal Women Who Mean Business honoree.
- **2025** — Appointed Director-at-Large of PRSA Montana; inducted into the Oroville Union High School District Hall of Fame on October 18.
- **2026** — Marked 25 years since Merlot’s founding and published essays on strategic alliances, AI and leadership.

## Achievements

- 2020 Women Who Mean Business honoree, Sacramento Business Journal
- 2025 Oroville Union High School District Hall of Fame inductee
- PR Person of the Year, Sacramento Public Relations Association, as listed in her professional biography
- 40 Under 40 Business Professional, Sacramento Business Journal, as listed in her professional biography
- Led Merlot Marketing from its 2001 founding to a national agency

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Published “Mindset Isn’t Motivational. It’s Operational.” on September 8, discussing leadership decisions and operational adaptation.
- **2026-07** — Published “AI Isn’t Replacing Agencies. It’s Redefining Agency Value.” on July 10.
- **2026-04** — Published an April 11 essay on turning casual connections into strategic business alliances.
- **2025-11** — Merlot announced her October 18 induction into the Oroville Union High School District Hall of Fame.
- **2025-09** — Merlot announced her appointment as PRSA Montana Director-at-Large.

## Links

- Website: https://merlotmarketing.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debihammond

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/debi-hammond
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25