Mayor Walsh appoints interim commissioner of veterans' services

Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that he has selected Giselle Sterling as the City of Boston’s Veterans’ Services Interim Commissioner. Sterling joined the City as a Community Relations Specialist in March 2012.

“I want to continue to elevate the Veterans’ Community, and Giselle is an exceptional leader,” said Mayor Walsh. “She carries a wealth of experience, having enlisted in Marine Corps among other means of public service. She shares my commitment to both improving the quality of life for those who put their lives on the line for us, and I’m pleased she’ll be serving with us in this capacity.”

“I’m humbled at the opportunity to continue working with my fellow veterans,” said Sterling. “The men and women who have worn the uniform for our country deserve to come back to a community that values their commitment, recognizes their strengths and meets their needs. I look forward to my new responsibilities and in moving ahead with serving our veterans as honorably as they have served us. ”

Prior to her appointment, Sterling served in the United States Marine Corps. In 2000 she completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina and was soon after trained as a Field Radio Operator with deployments to Kandahar, Afghanistan; the Philippines; Guam; Diego Garcia and Okinawa, Japan. Giselle was honorably discharged in 2004 and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.

Sterling also previously worked as a Special Event Coordinator for El Mundo Newspaper, and as a Charitable Campaign Coordinator for Action For Boston Community Development, Inc.

The first daughter to be born in the United States to Dominican parents, Sterling was instilled with an appreciation for the arts along with a sense of generational responsibility.

Sterling is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell with a Bachelor’s Degree in English (writing) and a Minor in studio art. She is currently a graduate student in the Sierra Nevada College MFA Low-Residency Creative Writing Program and resides in Boston’s historic North End.