Below is a political press release from Congressman Bennie G. Thompson:
Congressman Bennie G. Thompson recently attended the promotion ceremony for Jackson, Mississippi native and Tougaloo College alumna, United States Coast Guard Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant. This event in New York City marked a historic occasion for the United States Coast Guard and is a source of immense pride for Mississippi as Rear Admiral Merchant has become the first African American woman to achieve the rank of rear admiral in the service's nearly 234-year history.
“I was proud to see Rear Admiral Merchant break another glass ceiling as she became the first African American woman to achieve a flag rank in the Coast Guard’s history,” said Congressman Thompson. “Her achievement is a testament to her perseverance and aptitude. Though she has accomplished so much already, I know she will only continue to do so.”
Rear Admiral Merchant has made remarkable strides throughout her nearly 27 year career in the Coast Guard. In her previous position as Captain, USCG Sector New York, she was responsible for overseeing the operation of ships, as well as, ensuring the safety and security of one of the nation’s busiest and most economically important port complexes.
Rear Admiral Merchant is a recognized authority in maritime safety security, and crisis management. She has served in a variety of assignments at the operational and executive levels. She has been certified as one of the Coast Guard’s top Emergency Managers, leading large-scale, multi-jurisdictional incident responses across the Nation.
Rear Admiral Merchant holds a Doctorate of Business Administration and Master of Quality Systems Management from the National Graduate School at New England College of Business, a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tougaloo College. In addition, she has served as a National Security Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Seminar XXI National Security and Foreign Affairs Fellow. RADM Merchant has been honored with numerous professional, academic, and community service awards, including her most recent awards as “Hero of the Harbor” and “Women Who Move the Nation.”
