Marissa has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Baylor University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law.

Marissa is the Labor & Employment Legal Counsel for Houston Methodist, the No. 1 hospital in Texas.

Prior to joining Houston Methodist, Marissa was a HR Business Partner at Legacy Community Health and a Senior Employee Relations Consultant at Texas Children's Hospital.

Marissa has served as Deputy Senior Legal Counsel to Hope Andrade Commissioner Representing Employers at the Texas Workforce Commission in Austin, Texas.

A passionate advocate for abused children, Marissa has served on the Texas Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) statewide board.

Marissa is has volunteered with the Houston Rodeo since 2017 and in 2025, Marissa was sworn-in as a Director for the Texas Lyceum, which is a nonpartisan group of statewide Texas leaders that explores and addresses issues facing the state.

In 2026, she was named the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Senior Counsel of the Year for a Nonprofit/Governmental Agency by the Association of Corporate Counsel-Houston Chapter.

Marissa was born and raised in Laredo, Texas and is fluent in Spanish.