Marlaine was hired to serve as the Mayor's Executive Assistant in April, 2000. She attended Loyola University and majored in Administrative Practices in Business Administration. Marlaine is Past President of LAMSA (Louisiana Association of Municipal Secretaries and Assistants) and served on the board of the Louisiana Municipal Association.  She is a graduate of Leadership St. Tammany West, author, editor, journalist, speaker and Chairman of Southern Christian Writers Guild.

As the Mayor's Assistant, Marlaine provides administrative support to the Mayor and assists in standard operating policies and procedures of the Mayor's office. She maintains the Mayor's schedule and sets appointments with citizens, residents and visitors. Marlaine also directs incoming calls to appropriate departments whenever a problem occurs and follows up on departmental actions. It is her job to prepare reports, presentations, media releases and news articles about programs and services. On behalf of the Mayor, Marlaine attends meetings of various boards and commissions and maintains official records and files. She plans conferences, training sessions and major city events.