04 Oct Member Spotlight: Mercy Ameyaw
Mercy Ameyaw currently serves as a Director of Municipal Dealer Sales for the Raymond James Financial Fixed Income Department where she serves a trade liaison between the firm’s Municipal Department and other brokers/dealers throughout the country. She also serves as Co-Chair for the Raymond James Valor Network (Veterans Inclusion Network), which is a representation of all service branches, fostering camaraderie, networking, and advocacy for veterans. Ms. Ameyaw is currently President of the Board of Directors of Girls Inc. of Pinellas, which focuses on developing and equipping girls to lead fulfilling and productive lives, break the cycle of poverty, and become role models in their community. Ms. Ameyaw recently joined the 22Zero Follow Me Inc. Board with a mission to reduce the number of suicides in the active military, veterans, and first responder communities. She is also a member of BPW/St. Petersburg-Pinellas, dedicated to achieving equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, information, and education. Prior to her current role, Ms. Ameyaw served as a Director in the Raymond James Internal Audit department. Ms. Ameyaw’s experiences also include analysis and investigation of financial crimes matters while working at Raymond James and JP Morgan Chase.
Before entering the corporate world, Mercy Ameyaw proudly served in the US Army and retired after serving almost 17 years. In her last duty position, she served as the Acting First Sergeant and Platoon Sergeant in an elite and selectively-manned Airborne Unit, and worked closely with the Special Operations Command and law-enforcement partners. During her time in the Army, Ms. Ameyaw participated in two combat tours and two overseas NATO missions. Various Department of Defense and law enforcement agencies have recognized Ms. Ameyaw’s accomplishments in the intelligence community through her execution of six counter-narcotics operations, which resulted in the disruption of several international drug trafficking organizations, removal of more than 20 high value targets and 100 enemy insurgents, and the destruction of more than 30 metric tons of narcotics and precursors across 21 Afghan provinces.
Ms. Ameyaw was recently selected out of 500 nominees as a 2021 Tampa Bay Business Journal 40 under 40 honoree based on her demonstrated business success, community involvement, leadership ability, and influence on her community’s, public policy and quality of life. Additionally, Ms. Ameyaw’s dedication in her military career yielded her several awards, including, but not limited to, two Bronze Star Medals, a Meritorious Service Medal, and two Army Commendation Medals.
Ms. Ameyaw was born in Ghana (West Africa) and raised in Modena (Northern Italy) and speaks six languages. Her father heads an international missionary organization, which exposed her to many different countries and cultures until her family moved to the U.S. when she was 13 years old. Her international upbringing led her to pursue a double Bachelor’s degree in Political Science & International Affairs and a Master’s degree in Intelligence Studies & Strategic Operations. Ms. Ameyaw currently resides in St. Petersburg, FL, with her husband and two basenji dogs.