Auxiliary
Commodore Merryman has been an active member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary since 1981. She holds the AUXOP qualification. Past qualifications include Surface Operations, Vessel Examination and Instructor.
She currently serves as Deputy National Commodore for Information Technology and Planning, leading the work done by the 200 members of the Performance Measurement, Student Programs, Computer Software and Systems, and User Support and Services Directorates.
She previously served as Deputy National Commodore for Information Technology and Planning from 2016 through 2020, where she led the work done by the more than 100 members of the Performance Measurement, Strategic Planning, Computer Software and Systems, and User Support and Services Directorates.
She was Assistant National Commodore Planning and Performance from 2014 through 2016. In addition to leading the accomplishments of the Performance Measurement and Strategic Planning Directorates, she was responsible for oversight and coordination across all staff areas of the operationalization of the strategic initiatives set forth in the NACO's Strategic Plan.
From 2008 to 2014 she was the Deputy ANACO for Strategic Analysis and Planning and Performance. In this position, she conducted multiple Evergreen workshops and strategic planning sessions at NTrain and NACON on a variety of NACO-approved topics.
From 2003 through 2006, COMO Merryman was a member and facilitator of the Long Range Planning Committee. She participated in twice yearly meetings to develop innovative recommendations to a wide variety of issues, given by NACO, concerning the long term health and growth of the organization.
She has held staff positions at all levels of information services, including Department Chief of Information Services from 1996 through 2002. During that period, under her leadership the first official Coast Guard Auxiliary National web site, www.cgaux.org, was implemented.
She was a Special Projects Officer from 1994 through 1996. In that role she participated in the successful completion of two major national programs. The first was the conversion of the Coast Guard Auxiliary from a Penalty Indicia postage system to a more conventional stamp system. The second was as the sole end-user representative to the complete re-specification, design, development, verification, implementation planning and deployment of a new, organization-wide management information system (AUXMIS II).
Professional
COMO Merryman is retired from the field of information technology, where she worked for over 35 years. She is experienced in all phases of large-scale business application system implementation from programming, to requirements and system analysis, through test planning, product introduction, project management and program management. Management experience includes the successful implementation of profitable high-risk, high-visibility programs; responsibility for $3M+ department budgets; and coordination of all types of Information Technology strategic plans.
She has extensive experience analyzing business processes, gathering the business users' and customers' requirements, and making recommendations for improvements. Her skills include successfully bridging the gap between the business representatives and the technical staff to achieve the business goals; rapidly learning a new enterprise's operation, processes and procedures; and presenting IT programs and information to technical and non-technical audiences at all levels of responsibility within an organization.
Personal
COMO Merryman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Maryland. In 2007 she and her husband, Richard, moved from Annapolis, Maryland, to their retirement home in Pahrump, Nevada.