My First Job: Fledging Reporter, Internal Ethical Dilemma
25/06/2015 12:11pm | 7667 viewsI remember it was November of 1995 when I got the call from the People Magazine Miami Bureau Chief to skip my next few days of class, trek down from Gainesville to South Florida and assist them on a story. I was finishing up my last semester in college after interning at the popular national magazine the summer prior.
Falta Una Niña
16/07/2015 06:00am | 7161 viewsIt was summer evening as I made my way home on a one-lane road as radio hummed in the background. As the host attributed the last song to a duo of brothers, my three-year-old daughter riding in the back seat asked what he had said. I told her that it was about two brothers – boys – singing. She said matter-of-factly in Spanish, “oh, falta una niña (they are missing a girl).” I laughed and thought, what an interesting and logical observation. According to Isabella, there should always be a girl involved in some way -- no matter what the situation.
New PwC Report Validates Significant Opportunity Hispanics Represent for Healthcare Industry
01/07/2014 09:48pm | 10673 viewsIf you want to see what role technology will play in the future of healthcare, look no further than the Hispanic market. This is where the U.S. demographic shift meets the great technological shift. Hispanics not only represent future growth and innovation for the healthcare industry, they’re outpacing the rest of the country as early adopters of new technology and changing the very way that healthcare is being accessed. From smartphones and social media to their local pharmacist and retail outlets, Hispanics are skipping the doctor and getting their medical advice elsewhere – hoping to save themselves and their families big money in the process.
Leading Dermatologist Dr. Omar Torres Talks About Proper Skin Care
03/06/2014 10:37pm | 12914 viewsread moreMental Health Stigma
12/08/2015 02:03pm | 7904 viewsGrowing up, I had never really encountered anyone with a mental illness. Yes, there were people in the family who were a bit eccentric but no one had ever been diagnosed with anything specific.
About the Author
A seasoned corporate communications, PR, public affairs, marketing, and media relations professional with experience working with domestic and international non-profit and for-profit organizations and companies, Marisa has effectively developed, led, and executed strategic communications and relationship-building initiatives over the past 18 years.
A journalist by trade, she launched her career as the only
bilingual journalist at People Magazine
and People En Español in the Miami
Bureau in 1995.
In 2000, the University of Florida Journalism School graduate joined an Atlanta market research firm specializing in providing consulting services to non-profits and later worked for an international orphan advocacy group where she and other staff members met with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child regarding the basic right of a child, without parents, to have a permanent home.
In 2005, she continued honing her communications expertise by serving as the national media spokesperson and trade association member liaison to the $4.6 billion-dollar global infant formula industry. In addition to leveraging relationships with print and online media outlets, Marisa led outreach initiatives to form alliances with medical and healthcare groups and gained a penchant for navigating politically sensitive issues and advocating on public policy positions.
Spearheading Hispanic marketing and outreach efforts for a national financial services agency in 2010, Marisa developed national, regional, and local corporate and non-profit partnerships that increased the organization's visibility across the country as well as leveraged relationships with Spanish-language media outlets to garner additional exposure for the organization.
In her last position, Marisa was part of the corporate communications department at UPS headquarters where she worked in collaboration with the internal team to inform, engage, and empower the company's 400,000 employees across 220 countries regarding key internal and external initiatives and programs.
Born to Cuban immigrants, Marisa has always valued her Hispanic heritage, culture, and Spanish language as well as been active in the Hispanic community. In August 2012, she was selected to serve as the President of the Center for Hispanic Leadership's inaugural Atlanta chapter with a focus on providing culturally-relevant educational online and onsite training to help Latino professionals lead in the workplace and advance in their careers.
Marisa serves on several boards in the Atlanta area, where she lives with her husband and two children, including: Emory Goizueta School of Business Hispanic Recruiting Advisory Board of Directors, the International Charter School of Atlanta, and the Childcare Congo Foundation. She is also member of the National Association of Professional Women, the International Association of Business Communicators, and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.