Malliotakis lauds Coast Guard captain: She’ll soon be highest-ranking Black woman in branch’s 233-year history | Inside Out
In honor of Black History Month — which began Feb. 1 — and as a way to highlight the achievements and contributions made by African-Americans, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis recognized U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Zeita Merchant on her promotion to Rear Admiral on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Merchant, commander of The Port of New York, will be etched in history come April when she attains the rank of rear admiral, thereby becoming the highest-ranking African American woman in the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USGC) 233-year history.
Merchant was approved in December 2023 by Congress and will assume the rank during the Coast Guard’s Change of Command exercises in April. At that time, she will assume a new position in USCG Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
At the USCG Sector One, which is based in Rosebank, Merchant is commander of one of the nation’s busiest ports. Enjoying more than 24 years of active duty service, Merchant is a recognized authority in maritime safety and security, and crisis management.
She and her staff have been tasked with the responsibility of keeping the waters of New York and New Jersey safe daily for both travelers and hundreds of billions of dollars in cargo.
MALLIOTAKIS LAUDS MERCHANT
“With February marking Black History Month, I rise today to recognize U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Zeita Merchant, commander of the Port of New York, based in my district on Staten Island,” Malliotakis said from the floor of the House of Representatives. “With her recent promotion to Rear Admiral in the Coast Guard, Capt. Merchant is making history by becoming the highest-ranking African American woman in the U.S. Coast Guard’s 233-year history.
Malliotakis went on to explain that throughout her nearly 27-year career, Merchant has commanded maritime operations in Chicago, Texas City, Miami, New Orleans and New York, many times being either the first minority, or the first woman, to hold her position – but in many cases she was both.
“On top of her workplace accolades, she’s also received more than a dozen academic, community service and military honors,” she added. “On Staten Island, Capt. Merchant has overseen the busiest port in our nation to keep our maritime commerce moving, stop the flow of drugs coming over our borders, conduct search and rescue missions, and protect our national security at sea. She’s managed more than 1,000 personnel in 12 commands, over an area spanning more than 6,000 square miles. On a personal note, I admire Capt. Merchant’s dedication and commitment to protecting New York City’s waters, and she will be truly missed by me and our entire community, but we know she will make us proud when she assumes her new role here, in Washington, D.C., come spring.”
MERCHANT’S ASSIGNMENTS
Merchant’s operational assignments included commanding maritime operations across the southern tip of Lake Michigan at Marine Safety Unit Chicago.
She also directed operations as the Executive Officer of Marine Safety Unit Texas City, Chief of Port Operations at Sector Miami and as a Marine Inspector and Port Operations Officer at Marine Safety Office New Orleans.
Her previous staff assignments include serving as the Special Assistant to the 27th and 28th Vice Commandants of the Coast Guard, Congressional Fellow on the Committee of Oversight and Reform and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Executive Strategic Planner for Coast Guard Flag and Senior Executive Service Corps.
Merchant holds a doctorate of business administration and master of quality systems management from the National Graduate School at New England Institute of Business, as well as a master of public administration from George Washington University and a bachelor of science in biology from Tougaloo College.
In addition, she is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Executive Education Leadership in Homeland Security Course and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Seminar XXI National Security and Foreign Affairs Fellow.
AWARDS AND MEDALS
Merchant has been honored with numerous professional, academic, and community service awards, including the 2019 Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration Outstanding Achievement in Public Service, 2018 Chicago Federal Executive Board J.F. Kennedy Leadership Award, 2018 USCG Captain Jarvis Inspirational Leadership Award, 2017 USO LTC James M. O’Rourke Service Salute Award and many more.
Her personal military awards include three Meritorious Service Medals, six Coast Guard Commendation Medals, three Coast Guard Achievement Medals, three Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medals, four Commandant’s Letters of Commendation, a Marine Safety Insignia and Commandant’s Staff Identification Badge.
Prior to joining Sector New York as Deputy Sector Commander in 2020, Merchant was a National Security Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.