Juliana Mercer is a native San Diegan and Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. She is currently in her 12th year as a Marine; after serving 8 years of active duty she is now in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. During her career she served with an Ordinance Maintenance Company in Waco, Texas and Recruiting Sub-station in Katy, Texas before returning home to Southern California and serving with 3D Civil Affairs Group, Marine 4 Life Injured Support, Wounded Warrior Battalion, 1st Marine Division, and Marine Headquarters Group (MHG) all based out of Camp Pendleton, CA. In 2006 she deployed to Fallujah, Iraq with the 3D Civil Affairs Group and in 2010 she deployed for the second time with 1st Marine Division Civil Military Operations. During both deployments, she worked with the governance of the communities in which her teams were deployed.
Juliana is the California Program Manager for Hire Americas Hero’s, a 501(c) 3 organization that connects transitioning veterans with employers, and is currently serving on the board as Military Adviser and Special Events Coordinator for Warrior Foundation/ Freedom Station, a 501(c) 3 organization founded in San Diego working with wounded, ill, or injured service members and other veterans. She was first introduced to this organization in her role as the Volunteer Services Officer with the Wounded Warrior Battalion in 2008-2010. Juliana’s passion is to assist her fellow OIF/OEF veterans and as an active member of the San Diego community, she is proud to be an advisor to a local think-tank of employers seeking to alleviate the San Diego veteran unemployment crisis. In partnering with them, she is working with employers, government and military officials to find a solution that keeps recently separated service members from unemployment in the city with the 3rd largest veteran population and one of the highest veteran unemployment rates. Juliana is in her 3rd year at Pennsylvania State University and is working towards her B.S. in Organizational Leadership with plans to graduate in December of 2014.