Markley Rizzi has had a lifelong involvement in the arts. Growing up a faculty family at the College of William and Mary in Virginia she and her friends put on plays and magic shows on campus, and while the performances were free Markley had artwork to sell to members of the audience. Markley planned on being a broadcaster but after a semester off for travel in Europe she decided to focus on art and design. She moved to New York after graduating from the Ringling College of Art and Design. The first opportunity to make a presentation to a client was the stepping stone to a successful career in advertising and sales in New York and rekindled the spirit that had staged those campus shows back in Virginia. As a vice president and creative director who presented the ideas to clients, she found her skills in communication a valuable asset. An accomplished business woman and artist, Markley started acting again when her youngest child entered elementary school.