HI, I’M DR. MARLEY

I am a wife, a mom, a mimi, a woman of faith, a business owner and a woman who lives life to the fullest. 

Out of college my first "real job" was in Human Resources at a small printing manufacturer. While at a job fair recruiting employees to join our company, an HR professional from Wausau Insurance (now Liberty Insurance) recruited me to join the insurance industry. The P&C Insurance industry was instrumental in shaping my professional life. Insurance is such a broad field, and it allowed me to grow as a claims professional, sales professional, and underwriter. Each of those roles pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me fine-tune my skills while building relationships with other professionals. While working in insurance, I returned to school to complete my MBA in Risk Management and Insurance.

After finishing my MBA, the program director approached me about teaching in the MBA program as an adjunct instructor. I'm not sure what he saw in me, but if I had to guess, I would say it was my curiosity to learn, my tenacity, and my ability to genuinely connect with others. It turned out to be one of the best decisions ever. I never thought saying “YES” to that opportunity would lead me to a thriving career in education. 

Since 2001, I have taught at various colleges, including Concordia University, Ottawa University, and most recently, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). I earned a master’s degree in educational technology, an education specialist degree in curriculum and instruction, and a doctorate in instructional design and technology. I guess you could call me a lifelong learner! 

My journey as an educator has been exciting and full of wonderful experiences and beautiful relationships. Connecting with thousands of students and being a part of their lives personally and professionally has been the most fulfilling. Impacting lives that impact the world is what I live for! Many never get to do what they were created to do, so I feel incredibly blessed that all my work, life, and educational experience have aligned perfectly for me.

In my spare time (believe it or not, I do have downtime), I love all things that involve self-care, I love to read and I love live smooth jazz. I am also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority Inc. 💚🩷