About Merlisa
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett fell in love with design as a child. Whether a whimsical coffee cup or stunning kitchen, great design fascinates her. In the fifth grade she was placed in a gifted and talented program for young artists. You could often find Merlisa with pencil and pad, sketching dream homes or fabulous fashions. In high school she studied graphic design and was the only female in her drafting class.
In college she began her career as a journalist. While a student at the University of South Florida, she covered sports for the St. Petersburg Times and Lakeland Ledger. She spent 10 years as a sports writer, including two years as a reporter for Sports Illustrated. She also covered sports for the Staten Island Advance, The Tampa Tribune and Pittsburgh Press. She was assistant sports editor at America Online and a correspondent for Digital Ink, the predecessor to the WashingtonPost.com. Three years ago Merlisa merged her writing talents with her passion for design. She writes about interior design and architecture regularly for the Washington Examiner and America Online.
Her articles have appeared in Black Enterprise, Capitol File, the Los Angeles Times, Power Play, Essence, American Visions, and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette magazines. She wrote the foreword for Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.'s A Hard Road to Glory: Track and Field. An avid tennis fan, Merlisa plays tennis three to four times a week. She serves on the executive board of the Child and Family Network Centers in Alexandria and is an ambassador for the American Stroke Association. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, National Association of Black Journalists, the USF Alumni Association and the United States Tennis Association. She lives in Arlington, Va.
In college she began her career as a journalist. While a student at the University of South Florida, she covered sports for the St. Petersburg Times and Lakeland Ledger. She spent 10 years as a sports writer, including two years as a reporter for Sports Illustrated. She also covered sports for the Staten Island Advance, The Tampa Tribune and Pittsburgh Press. She was assistant sports editor at America Online and a correspondent for Digital Ink, the predecessor to the WashingtonPost.com. Three years ago Merlisa merged her writing talents with her passion for design. She writes about interior design and architecture regularly for the Washington Examiner and America Online.
Her articles have appeared in Black Enterprise, Capitol File, the Los Angeles Times, Power Play, Essence, American Visions, and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette magazines. She wrote the foreword for Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.'s A Hard Road to Glory: Track and Field. An avid tennis fan, Merlisa plays tennis three to four times a week. She serves on the executive board of the Child and Family Network Centers in Alexandria and is an ambassador for the American Stroke Association. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, National Association of Black Journalists, the USF Alumni Association and the United States Tennis Association. She lives in Arlington, Va.
