Marissa Martin is thrilled to join the Be A Leader team in the Advancement Manager role. Marissa moved to the Southwest this past June and is excited to be living and working in a new community.

Marissa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from Northeastern University and has accrued several years of experience in nonprofit leadership and program development. She most recently served as the Operations & Outreach Manager for RIA, Inc., a Massachusetts-based nonprofit dedicated to standing with and supporting adult survivors of human trafficking and exploitation. Through her work with RIA, Marissa substantially grew her program management skillset, overseeing both the organization’s community outreach efforts and operational needs. In association with her work at RIA, Marissa was selected to participate in the Institute for Nonprofit Practice (INP) RISE Fellowship as part of the Spring 2023 Cohort. The RISE Fellowship, which brings together the next generation of highly motivated, early career community leaders who are passionate about social change and advancing equity, gave Marissa a unique opportunity to collaborate with a diverse network of innovative and mission-driven individuals doing amazing work in the social impact sector.

Marissa previously lived abroad for several years in Japan, where she held the position of Regional Program Specialist at the American Red Cross on the remote island of Okinawa. In this role she worked to develop and maintain community programs focused on resiliency, disaster preparedness, and volunteer and career services. During her time with the Service to the Armed Forces division of the Red Cross, Marissa developed an extensive skillset of emergency training. She is a certified instructor for several Red Cross courses and loves using her experience to teach and empower others in emergency situations.

Marissa enjoys spending her free time volunteering for a good cause and has worked with animal rescue, humanitarian aid, and health organizations across the globe to give back to the community. She is also an avid hiker and world traveler, as well as a passionate supporter of social justice, women’s empowerment, sustainability, and animal rights activism. She resides in Scottsdale with her husband, Ben, and their rescue cats.