Marie is a native Californian. Her parents immigrated to the US and worked in the service industry.  She was taught the importance of hard work by watching her aunts and uncles build several successful family-owned businesses. Marie pursued her passion in livestock management by studying Animal Science at UC Davis before pivoting her education to raise her three children Justice, Anissa and Carmen in rural northern CA.  As a single parent, she grew her career in management by working with nonprofit organizations and local  agencies to design, develop and implement new community health and education programs for youth and families.  Marie returned to college mid-career and achieved both a Bachelor and Master degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco as a widely recognized and awarded leader in public service.