Marissa Taylor

About Marissa

Marissa Taylor is a highly seasoned international development executive with more than 14 years of operational experience with large international NGOs. Marissa holds Master of Arts in Health and International Development from McMaster University as well as several training certifications including Human Rights Based Approach to Equitable Partnership, Health Systems Strengthening: Improving Governance and Ensuring Equity, and she is a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for World Vision International Southern Africa region.

Professionally, Marissa has lived and worked in Asia, Africa and Latin America in more than 30 countries. In her roles as the Regional Director for Resource Development and Partnerships in Southern Africa (and previously in East Asia) for World Vision International, she coaches country office teams in strategy development; program management; operational excellence; professional talent recruitment and management; financial tracking and monitoring; and diversifying funding streams.  Marissa has technical project design experience in health, nutrition, conservation agriculture, anti-human trafficking, water and sanitation, humanitarian response to climate shocks (drought/flooding/cyclones), and economic development. She believes in building meaningful, respectful partnerships within the workplace with the goal of supporting the empowerment and professional development of individuals to carve their own path. 

Personally, Marissa loves to learn and to teach. As a guest lecturer in Universities across the world from McMaster, U of Ottawa to the Nottingham University in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia she has taught on the key elements of International Development Project Design and Public Health Systems Strengthening. Having lived that last couple of years in South Africa, she has been taking courses that focus on what it means to be an anti-racist ally. Using these tools and resources to ensure that racial and social inclusion are embedded within her daily professional and personal life. Marissa is also passionate about environmental justice, holding a Permaculture certification from Rancho Mastatal Education Center in Costa Rica, as well as being a Climate Fellow with Terra.do. The key principals of Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share within Permaculture encompasses her beliefs of how we should move through this human experience.