Marrissa has been active in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years, holding positions ranging from child actor to studio Vice President. By 16, Marrissa had appeared in numerous stage and musical productions, and completed the first phase of her advanced education – an undergraduate degree in Mass/Telecommunications Technology. Additional degrees followed in Theatre Arts, Rhetoric and Music from Occidental College and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine University. Searching for an alternative to the traditional actor’s “day job”, Marrissa worked as a teacher and Assistant Director of Education for the Los Angeles Children’s Museum, where she specialized in activities and fundraising endeavors that centered on entertainment interests. She entered the world of full time television production when she joined The Landsburg Company, working on series such as “THAT’S INCREDIBLE!”, “GIMME A BREAK” and “KATE AND ALLIE” as well as award-winning movies-for-television, including “ADAM” and “THE RYAN WHITE STORY”. Marrissa left The Landsburg Company to join the MGM Worldwide Television Production Group. Rising though the ranks, she was named Vice President, Business Affairs and Administration. As a result of her work on “IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT”, “THE YOUNG RIDERS”, “Wes Craven’s NIGHTMARE CAFÉ”, “FRESHMAN DORM”, “DARK SHADOWS”, and many more projects, Marrissa was named Vice President, Talent and Program Negotiations, and her duties were expanded to include supervision of all casting and talent-related activity. While at MGM, Marrissa established and coordinated an effort between the studios, unions, and Casting Society of America to encourage alternatives to traditional casting in television and motion pictures. Subsequently, she was recognized by New York’s Non-Traditional Casting Project for creating new contract language which remains an industry standard.