Marisa is the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Dorking & Horley, a Surrey County Councillor since 2006 and a former Borough Council Deputy Leader. She has a strong track record in delivering positive change and has obtained millions of pounds of funding for the community, for farming and the rural economy and for business.
Alongside 20 years of public service, Marisa has worked as a CEO and director running her own business in the UK and internationally across government, charity and business sectors. Her expertise is in forming alliances and sector groups to set strategic plans to tackle problems working through legislation and best practise to improve outcomes.
Marisa is a true Conservative who joined the Party in 2003 and she believes in personal freedom, enterprise, strong defence and small government.
Marisa is know for being a deliverer and she has a strong track record in:
- Delivering major infrastructure
- Obtaining funding for her community
- Influencing the outcome of legislation
- Setting comprehensive strategic plans
- Putting together collaborative teams to problem solve
More about Marisa
Career: Small Business, Defence, Farming and Animal Welfare
Marisa is a business woman who has run her own successful consultancy business advising well known organisations across private sector and third sector helping them solve a range of problems through collaboration and alliances. She has influenced and changed a number of pieces of legislation and has been part of internal Government Expert Panels and co-chairs a Government Task Group. Her expertise is focused on farming, food production, animal health and welfare and conservation.
Marisa has also worked in defence in a role that saw her spend time in NATO and with the European Defence Agency and gain a broad understanding of the defence sector. Marisa worked with the Conservative defence team on the Military Covenant campaign in 2007 and she is subsequently a strong supporter of the Armed Forces and the defence industry.
Political: Environment, Regeneration,Airport Expansion and Protecting the Green Belt
Marisa was first elected as a councillor on Runnymede Borough Council in 2003 when she was studying at Royal Holloway University. Marisa was deputy leader from 2017 to 2021 and was involved in large town regeneration projects, delivering a local plan and the COVID response.
Marisa was elected to Surrey County Council in 2006 and is Cabinet Member for Environment covering flooding, countryside management and net zero. Marisa has worked on the £600m+ River Thames Scheme as lead member for the project at Surrey working in close partnership with the Environment Agency and other partners. She is also chair of the Surrey Environment Partnership.
Marisa chaired the Surrey Planning Committee for over four years dealing with many large scale, controversial applications from oil and gas extraction in the Surrey Hills, major services on the M25 motorway and large scale waste and recycling facilities. She has a strong record in defending the Green Belt and protecting nature and she is a member of the Surrey Hills National Landscapes Board.
Marisa worked to support the community on Heathrow expansion and the change to flightpaths. She changed the local council’s position from being one of clear support to one that demanded no increase in noise and no impact on air quality related to flightpath changes or expansion. This maintained the relationship with the airport, a large employer in her division.
Wider Experience: School Governor, Family and Supporting the Vulnerable
She has been a school and college governor, and works closely with the Surrey universities often speaking at panels and alongside their representatives on joint environmental initiatives. She is currently a Governor to the St Peter's Medical School owing to her strong conviction that every child is entitled to a decent education. She has also had roles in Children’s Services and sat for over 8 years as a member of the Surrey Fostering Panel and as Deputy Cabinet Member for Children and Families. She is deeply committed to supporting young people who go through our systems and ensuring better transitions into adulthood which is a project she led when Deputy Cabinet Member. Marisa is a compassionate Conservative who is deeply committed to charity work and supporting those who have not had the good fortune of others.
Education: International Relations and Adult Learning
Marisa spent her early years in International School in Indonesia as her father was an engineer building road infrastructure over there on behalf of the British Government. This was followed by secondary education at a state school on the Surrey/Hampshire Border into sixth form where she achieved a full set of A grade A levels. She then undertook a BA Hons in English Literature and followed that with a Masters in International Relations. She has continued to undertake diplomas in subjects which interest her such as nutrition and has been very involved in education through being a school and college governor and working closely with the University of Surrey and Royal Holloway University.
A Plan for Dorking & Horley
Marisa intends to deliver for Dorking & Horley. You can see her plan for the constituency here
