Name: Michael Marrese
Age: About to be 49
Family: Wife, Marla; two daughters, Olivia, 21, and Grace, 19. (Both out-of-state tuition. Ugh.)
Pets: Two cats and two dogs.
Education: Washington University in St. Louis undergrad class of 1987; Indiana University School of Law, class of 1990.
Admitted to the Bar: Illinois Bar 1991 and Florida Bar 2002.
Employed by: Equity partner Morgan & Morgan.
Field of practice: Plaintiff’s personal injury and medical malpractice.
Professional organizations: JJA
Community involvement: Church of Eleven22, McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation, Liv-N-Grace Jeweled Creations and Compassion International.
How did you get involved? These organizations are all intertwined for me and my family. We became involved with The Church of Eleven22 because of the loss of my daughter’s close friend at the age of 15. This incredible loss led her family to start a foundation, The McKenzie Noelle Wilson Foundation, Caregivegrow.org, which “is dedicated to helping young people find their way in an increasingly complex and challenging world.” My wife, in response to our daughter’s loss, started making bracelets with either a cross, butterfly or a peace symbol on each. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of these bracelets go to McKenzie’s foundation, which has raised hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars. The foundation has built an orphanage in Uganda and The McKenzie Academic Resource Center here in Jacksonville sponsors McKenzie’s Run and so many other great things too numerous to mention here.
How can someone else get involved? Getting involved is easy. Come to Eleven22, run McKenzie’s Run or just buy a bracelet for someone who needs “a little piece of goodness on their wrist every day.”
What have you learned? God truly has his own plan for each of us and it is not required that we understand or even agree with his plan.
What was the last book you read or are reading? “The Complete Hogan,” about professional golfer Ben Hogan.