By Mandy Haggerson
For the Clemmons Courier

Maureen Maresca grew up a Jersey girl.
“I was born and raised in downtown Jersey City. I lived two blocks from the Hudson River and saw the New York City skyline every day of my life. I also witnessed the devastation of the Twin Towers going down,” Maresca said. “As a kid I loved going into New York City to see plays, go to museums and eating at all the different restaurants.”

When Maresca was in high school she was a cheerleader but got involved with other sports later in life. “It was until later that I picked up running, tennis and golf,” Maresca said. “Although, I had always enjoyed being active.”

For college, Maresca decided to stay in New Jersey to attend Farleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford. “A couple of people that were close to me were considering degrees in the biomedical field. I had contemplated it too and realized that accounting came a little more natural to me, so I switched out,” Maresca said. “Numbers always just seemed to make sense to me.”

After graduating from college, Maresca always stuck with her accounting background primarily. “I never became a CPA, but remained in the private sector,” Maresca said.
Working for companies like AG Edwards, Maresca continued to advance in her career. “For four years, I worked for the national shipping line for the government of Argentina, the Empresea Lines Martima. That was an interesting experience,” Maresca said.

During that time, Maresca had considered buying her own boat. “I took a class on safety and learned more about the United States Power Squadrons which is a non-profit group that promotes maritime safety of which I was a member. I enjoyed it so much I became involved in the organization and served in multiple capacities to include treasurer and helping with membership,” reveals Maresca.

As Maresca had established her career and honed her hobbies, she coincidentally met her future husband Joe Laurentino in 1999. “He was a co-owner of an auto body shop, and I had come in because my mirror had broken off. We just hit it off, and got married two years later after dating,” says Maresca. Two years after Joe and Maureen had gotten married, they made a big cross country move. “At the time, I was working in the financial industry for National Discount Brokers as a registered sales agent, and Joe was offered a job in Roseville, California. It was a big move for both of us, however, we lived there 10 years and really loved it. Roseville is in the middle of nowhere, but halfway to everywhere,” Maresca said with a laugh. “So, we took advantage of that, and traveled and did many new things which was a great way to begin our marriage.”

California is also where Maresca developed a passion for running. “I began training with Fleet Feet and worked my way up with a 5k, 10k, and finally a half marathon. I also competed in the California International Marathon as part of a relay team. I did it in its entirety if you include me doing one leg each year for four years,” she said with a laugh.

After 10 years of taking advantage of the scenic opportunities presented in California, Maureen and Joe headed back to the East Coast because of career options for Joe. “We moved to Clemmons in 2015, and it has been nice being closer to our families again including Joe’s children and grandchildren,” Maresca said. “It’s a lot easier to go up and visit family where we live now. We also enjoy traveling as much as we can. Whether it’s going boating down at Belews Lake or visiting relatives, we like to take advantage as much as possible. Our next big adventure is going to Athens, Greece, to cruise the islands,” Maresca said.

If not traveling, Maresca enjoys hanging out at home with her two dogs, Cali and Charlie. “We had not planned to keep Charlie originally. We had wanted to foster a dog in need, and he came along through the Humane Society of Davie County. Due to his previous situation, he had some anxiety and we wanted to teach him he was safe and loved. We ended up foster failing because we fell in love with Charlie, so our fostering days were short lived,” Maresca said with a laugh. “But we both love animals, and especially our dogs, so we found the entire experience rewarding. I’ve always felt lucky that things usually work out like they are supposed to in life.”