Dr. Griselle Marino

Dr. Griselle Marino is a multicultural ambassador, public affairs executive, Certified Chaplain, nonprofit fundraiser, and multi-Emmy Award-winning journalist whose career spans more than three decades dedicated to public service, journalism, community engagement, cultural preservation, public policy, and civic participation.

Born in Cuba and raised in Miami-Dade County after immigrating to the United States at age 10, Marino developed an appreciation for culture, storytelling, and the arts at an early age. Her mother worked for the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television, where she spent much of her childhood participating in television productions, comedy programs, children's programming, and learning the creative process behind broadcast media. Those experiences sparked a lifelong interest in communications, performance, and the role culture plays in shaping communities and preserving identity.

After arriving in South Florida, she continued exploring the arts through theater, television, and dance. She received recognition in the Drama Category of the Miss Junior Cuban American Pageant and later studied acting through Miami Dade College's renowned Prometeo Theatre program under legendary theater educator Teresa María Rojas. Her training emphasized storytelling, emotional authenticity, improvisation, movement, and cultural expression. She also studied flamenco, tango, Cuban folkloric dance, and Colombian dance traditions and participated in Spanish-language television productions and telenovelas filmed in Miami before ultimately pursuing a career in journalism.

What began as a student job in the airline industry evolved into a formative experience in multicultural communications, international relations, protocol, and global engagement. While attending college and launching her journalism career, Marino spent more than eleven years with Pan Am, Avianca Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines at Miami International Airport. Extensive travel throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia deepened her appreciation for cultural diversity and broadened her understanding of the traditions, histories, and perspectives that shape communities around the world. Fluent in English and Spanish and conversational in French and Portuguese, she has drawn upon these multicultural experiences throughout her professional life.

Beginning in 1993, Marino built an award-winning journalism career as an assignment editor, producer, reporter, news anchor, public affairs host, and television personality working for Univision, Radio Caracol, Telemundo, CNN-affiliated television stations, and PBS/WLRN. Her work earned two Emmy Awards and five Emmy nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) for excellence in investigative reporting, writing, and public affairs programming. Her reporting frequently focused on Hispanic communities, immigration, education, public policy, human rights, healthcare, and issues affecting underserved populations.

Among her assignments was Telemundo's "Agenda Escolar" segment, which highlighted arts education, cultural preservation, bilingualism, and programs serving students and families throughout South Florida. Throughout her journalism career, she interviewed internationally recognized leaders including Mikhail Gorbachev, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Lord Charles Spencer. Her reporting covered major national and international events while consistently elevating stories affecting multicultural communities and advocating for those whose voices were often overlooked.

In 2004, Marino joined Miami-Dade County government as Public Information Officer for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, where she coordinated media relations, protocol activities, public outreach, and served as the airport's Spanish-language spokesperson. She later held leadership positions with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Office of Emergency Management, where she oversaw public affairs operations, grants, procurement, crisis communications, emergency preparedness outreach, and community engagement initiatives serving more than 2.8 million residents.

Her County career continued with the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, where she rose through the ranks to become Director of the Media Division. In 2018, she joined the Office of Community Advocacy as Communications and Media Director, overseeing communications, outreach, and external affairs for 12 County advisory boards and the Goodwill Ambassadors Program.

Today, Marino serves as Director of the Miami-Dade County Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board, where she helps strengthen civic participation, cultural inclusion, educational outreach, and community engagement across one of the nation's largest Hispanic populations. Her work regularly brings together elected officials, nonprofit organizations, artists, educators, business leaders, municipalities, chambers of commerce, faith-based organizations, and members of the Miami Consular Corps to celebrate and preserve the cultural traditions that enrich Miami-Dade County.

Throughout her public service career, she has supported initiatives involving the Hispanic Affairs, Black Affairs, Asian-American Affairs, Women's, LGBTQIA+, Interfaith, Military Affairs, Elder Affairs, and Domestic Violence Oversight advisory boards, as well as the Miami-Dade County Goodwill Ambassadors Program. She has collaborated with museums, cultural institutions, artists, galleries, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, municipalities, and community groups representing dozens of cultural traditions. Her experience includes public art initiatives, heritage celebrations, exhibitions, cultural programming, educational forums, civic engagement campaigns, museum openings, public ceremonies, and community-based initiatives designed to broaden access to the arts and strengthen cultural understanding.

A Certified Chaplain and recipient of an Honorary Doctorate in Ministry, Marino brings a faith-informed perspective to leadership rooted in compassion, service, dignity, dialogue, and respect. Her work frequently intersects with interfaith collaboration and community-building efforts that foster understanding among diverse religious, cultural, and ethnic communities.

Beyond government service, Marino serves as Director of Advocacy and External Affairs for the Global Innovative Foundation, supporting nonprofit fundraising, partnership development, and initiatives benefiting women, survivors of domestic violence, victims of human trafficking, and underserved populations. She has volunteered for more than three decades with the American Cancer Society, serves on the Advisory Board of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, supports fundraising initiatives for Florida International University's College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA), and serves on the FIU Dean's Advisory Board.

Marino holds a bachelor's degree in Communication from Florida International University's College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA) and completed two years of postgraduate studies through FIU's College of Law Legal Studies Institute. She is a Florida International University School of Communication & Journalism Hall of Fame Inductee and recipient of numerous honors recognizing excellence in journalism, cultural leadership, public service, advocacy, and civic engagement.

Her professional mission is guided by a belief that culture, communication, education, faith, public policy, and civic participation are among the most powerful tools for building stronger communities, preserving heritage, expanding opportunity, and creating meaningful connections across generations, cultures, and backgrounds.