Dr. Griselle Marino, h.c.

Dr. Griselle Marino is a multi–Emmy Award-winning journalist, community affairs and advocacy leader, and certified chaplain whose distinguished career spans more than three decades across journalism, government, emergency management, nonprofit leadership, and civic engagement. Inducted into Florida International University’s (FIU) School of Communication + Journalism Hall of Fame in 2022, she is a five-time Emmy nominee and the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate in Ministry for Advocacy and Journalism (2024).
She currently serves as Program Director of the Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board (HAAB) under the Office of Community Advocacy for the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, where she leads community engagement, cultural programming, and public-policy initiatives that reflect the voices and heritage of nearly 70% of the County’s residents. Since joining Miami-Dade County in 2004, she has served under nine Commission Chairs, earning a reputation for integrity, collaboration, and results-driven leadership.
Before leading HAAB, Dr. Marino served as Communications and Media Director for the Office of Community Advocacy since January 2018, overseeing external affairs for twelve advisory boards representing Miami-Dade’s multicultural population—including the Asian-American, Black Affairs, Community Relations, Commission for Women, Domestic Violence Oversight, Elder Affairs, Hispanic Affairs, Interfaith, and LGBTQ boards, as well as the Goodwill Ambassadors Program.
She previously served as Director of the Media Division of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners beginning in January 2015, where she developed County-wide media strategies to strengthen communication and transparency. Earlier, she worked as Public Affairs Manager for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Office of Emergency Management beginning in 2011, where she represented the County in FEMA emergency exercises and served on the Regional Domestic Security Task Force.
Her emergency management experience includes advanced training at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she specialized in the Joint Information Center structure and National Incident Management System (NIMS)—frameworks designed to unify government and private-sector response during large-scale crises. She also completed training in weapons of mass destruction, terrorism response, and community resiliency and has maintained both federal and state security clearance.
Dr. Marino began her County career as a Public Information Officer at the Miami-Dade Aviation Department in 2004. In 2017, she completed more than 50 professional certifications in new media, web analytics, and digital marketing through the County’s Integrated Communications Division, further enhancing her digital communications expertise.
Before entering public service, Dr. Marino built a national reputation in broadcast journalism. In the private sector, she anchored news for Bay News 9, a 24-hour station affiliated with CNN, covering major national and international stories such as the Terri Schiavo case, the death of Pope John Paul II, and the Jessica Lunsford murder investigation. While there, she conducted an exclusive one-on-one interview with Lord Charles Spencer, brother of Princess Diana.
Earlier in her career, she served as a journalist for Telemundo Channel 51, where her reporting earned two Emmy Awards in the categories of Writing and Investigative Reporting, along with five total Emmy nominations in public affairs and feature writing. In Miami, she also hosted a community assistance segment for Channel 41 titled “Quiereme Descalzi.”
Her investigative work has been recognized internationally and in Congress. She was honored by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on the floor of the U.S. Congress for her coverage of a Colombian mother’s reunion with her daughters abducted to the Middle East by their Syrian father. Her exposé on Cuba’s HIV confinement centers was cited in United Nations and U.S. Congressional human-rights reports.
Throughout her journalism career, Dr. Marino has interviewed global leaders and dignitaries including Prince Albert of Monaco, Mikhail Gorbachev, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lord Charles Spencer, former Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, and U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, among others. She has covered defining moments in modern history such as the September 11 attacks, the 2000 presidential election, and the Elián González custody battle.
Dr. Marino holds an Associate in Arts degree in Business Administration from Miami Dade College, a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication with a minor in English from FIU, and 43 credits in legal studies from FIU’s College of Law. While at FIU, she was a staff writer for The Beacon newspaper. She interned at Univision 23. She launched her on-air reporting career with Radio Caracol in 1993, where she interviewed major political figures, including U.S. presidential candidate Ross Perot and former Nicaraguan President Violeta Chamorro.
Her legal experience includes a tenure with renowned defense attorney Roy Black, where she gained courtroom exposure on high-profile cases and served as a panelist at Florida Supreme Court media seminars.
Over the years, Dr. Marino has served as an Emmy Awards judge for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, beginning in 2005 with the Lone Star Emmy Awards. In 2010, the Latino Leaders Network in Washington, D.C., named her a “Media Latino Leader.”
Dr. Marino’s commitment to advocacy extends beyond journalism. She volunteers as Director of Advocacy and External Affairs for the Global Innovative Foundation, supporting survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and gun violence. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (Miami Chapter) and has been a lifelong volunteer with the American Cancer Society, inspired by her mother’s 41-year breast cancer survival. Since 2007, she has served with the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign as a champion for prevention, early detection, and survivor education.
A Certified Chaplain, Dr. Marino blends her communication expertise and faith to empower others through service. She is currently writing her first nonfiction book on women’s health and empowerment, a project inspired by her own medical journey and aimed at helping women—especially in underserved communities—advocate for themselves through awareness, prevention, and faith.
Her service and leadership have been honored with numerous awards, including the In the Company of Women Award (2020), the Excellence in Public Service Award (2023), and a Congressional Proclamation from Congresswoman Frederica Wilson.
In 2017, she was recognized by FIU for professional distinction and appointed as a Media Relations Reservist in FEMA’s External Affairs cadre. In 2021, she joined the Dean’s Advisory Board of FIU’s School of Communication + Journalism, continuing her dedication to mentoring the next generation of communicators.
Fluent in English and Spanish and conversational in French and Portuguese, Dr. Marino began her professional journey in the airline industry at Miami International Airport after finishing high school, serving high-level travelers at Pan Am and United Airlines. Those early experiences—bridging cultures and serving people from around the world—sparked her lifelong passion for communication, empathy, and diplomacy.
Raised by strong women, she credits her mother, a PhD educator from Cuba who revalidated her credentials in the U.S., and her aunt, her mother’s twin sister, for instilling resilience, humility, and compassion. Her father, now in his late 80s, remains a model of integrity and dedication. Her two sons, David and Daniel, are her greatest pride and motivation, inspiring her ongoing commitment to advocacy, equity, and faith-driven leadership.
Dr. Marino lives by a timeless mission: to inform, to connect, and to serve—transforming communication into action and advocacy into lasting impact.