House Resolution 146

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING REAR ADMIRAL ZEITA MERCHANT FOR BECOMING THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD TO ATTAIN THE RANK OF ADMIRAL.

WHEREAS, it is most fitting to express our congratulations to Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant, who has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first African-American woman in the 233-year history of the United States Coast Guard to attain the rank of admiral; and

WHEREAS, born in Chicago, Illinois, Admiral Merchant and her family eventually moved to Jackson, Mississippi, and while attending Tougaloo College, she earned a bachelor's degree in biology and decided to attend medical school upon graduation, however, the cost of this endeavor weighed on her mind; and

WHEREAS, it was during this period of contemplation, that Admiral Merchant encountered a Coast Guard recruiter, leading her to explore the Minority Officer Recruitment Effort (MORE) scholarship program, the predecessor to the Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative, and upon discovering the opportunity to have her tuition covered, receive a stipend, and secure a well-paying job upon completion of college and Officer Candidate School (OCS), she found herself drawn towards a new path; and

WHEREAS, Admiral Merchant's first unit, Marine Safety Office (MSO) - New Orleans, was an introduction to all things Coast Guard, and the environment there also provided support and culture that allowed her, a junior officer at the time, to build a foundation for her career; and

WHEREAS, throughout her over 26 years of service in the Coast Guard, Admiral Merchant has held a number of distinguished assignments which include: Marine Inspector and Operations Officer at the Marine Safety Office (MSO) - New Orleans; Chief of Port Operations - Sector Miami; Executive Officer at MSU Texas City; Commanding Officer at Marine Safety Unit (MSU) – Chicago, where she became the first woman to command an MSU; and then Sector New York, where she became the first African-American woman to command that unit; and

WHEREAS, Admiral Merchant's career most recently saw her as the Captain of the Port of New York, and during her tenure in that position, her numerous achievements included leadership in response to multiple highly complex maritime incidents; achieving the highest utilization rate of Coast Guard Cyber Protection Teams; and the advancement of the service's diversity and inclusion goals, yielding a 30% increase in recruiting and accessions during historic workforce shortages; and

WHEREAS, Admiral Merchant's educational background is equally impressive, in addition to her bachelor's degree in biology from Tougaloo College, she also earned a Doctor of Business Administration degree and a Master's degree in Quality Systems Management from the National Graduate School at New England Institute of Business, and a Master of Public Administration degree from George Washington University, and she also completed the Executive Education Leadership in Homeland Security program at Harvard Kennedy School of Government and was a Seminar XXI National Security and Foreign Affairs Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); and

WHEREAS, along with her prestigious and historic promotion to Rear Admiral, Admiral Merchant will serve as the commander of U.S. Coast Guard Personnel Service Center in Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and honor great, heroic Mississippians such as Admiral Merchant, whose groundbreaking achievement is a testament to her unwavering dedication and exceptional leadership that has been marked by a steadfast commitment to maritime safety, law enforcement and community outreach:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby honor and commend Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant for becoming the first African-American woman in the history of the United States Coast Guard to attain the rank of admiral, and express our most sincere wishes for continued success in all her future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.