Marisa Quaresimo

Born and raised in small-town Pennsylvania, Marisa (she/her) came out to her amazingly accepting family at 16 years old, after some inspiration from the show Glee. At 18 she moved to Tampa Bay to attend the University of Tampa where she found her first queer community. During her time there she attended her first TIGLFF event as a volunteer in 2013. After attending as a supporter for many years, she joined the board in 2021.

While her first love and major was film, she found her passion in social work. She has worked as a social worker for 5 years and is currently working towards her master’s degree in social work.

Working and volunteering for several LGBTQ+ organizations in Tampa, she is an advocate and pioneer for those in her community. She currently volunteers for the Spring of Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ Roundtable (an initiative against domestic violence) and CampOut (a queer summer camp for kids). In her spare time, she enjoys rescuing chameleons and listening to 90s music.