Zeita Merchant
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George Washington University (MPA)
Zeita Merchant | |
|---|---|
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| Education | Tougaloo College (BS) George Washington University (MPA) |
| Occupation | United States Coast Guard admiral |
Zeita Merchant is the current Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Personnel Service Center. In 2024 she became the first female African-American to be appointed rear admiral lower half in Coast Guard history.
Merchant graduated from Tougaloo College with a bachelor of science degree in biology. She also earned a master of public administration degree from George Washington University.[1][2]
Career
Merchant joined the Coast Guard in 1997 and stated the following about the organization's gender and race bias at the time: "Everywhere I served I saw other women but they were juniors, there were no senior African American women in the Coast Guard at that point in time. So I really couldn't see what I wanted to be".[3]
In 2016, Merchant took command of Marine Safety Unit Chicago, becoming the first African-American woman to command a Prevention/Marine Safety Unit/Office in the Coast Guard.[4]
Merchant is currently Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Personnel Service Center.[5]
In 2024 she became the first female African-American to be appointed rear admiral lower half in Coast Guard history.[6][5]