About Mariah A former Stanford and professional basketball player, Mariah Burton Nelson is an award-winning leader who serves as Executive Director for the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation. As a journalist, she has written a vast body of work for national publications including Newsweek, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today. As an award-winning author, she has written 6 books, including: Making Money on the Sidelines: A Game Plan for Success (2008) and We Are All Athletes: Bringing Courage, Confidence, and Peak Performance Into Our Everyday Lives. Past-president of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the National Speakers Association, Mariah is known for her authenticity, originality, humor, and leadership. Still an athlete, Nelson swims two miles each morning and coaches her mother, Sarah, who holds three Arizona breaststroke records for women aged 75-79. Background: Executive Director, American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation President, Speaking of Sports Author Professional Speaker Columnist Journalist Board Service and Leadership Media Resource Communication Professional Speaking Coach:Speaking Success For Athletes Former Stanford University and Professional Athlete Founder, Frances Willard Society Background and Education Honors and Awards

Executive Director, American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation
In May 2006, Mariah joined the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation, part of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, as their executive director.

President, Speaking of Sports

• Wrote books for major publishers: Random House, Harcourt Brace, Morrow, Harper (See Author, below)
• Wrote hundreds of articles: The New York Times, Newsweek, Shape, Self. Wrote columns: The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, Knight-Ridder/Tribune, Women's Sports and Fitness, Oxygen.com (see Journalist, below)
• Wrote and delivered sports, fitness, and health-related keynote speeches for hundreds of corporate, association, college audiences (See Professional Speaker, below)
• Planned and implemented media campaign that led to appearances on hundreds of TV shows (Today, Good Morning America, Larry King Live, Dateline, Donahue, Crossfire) and radio shows (NPR, ESPN.) Generated coverage in hundreds of major publications (See Media Resource, below)

Author
Mariah has authored many books and has also contributed chapters or introductions to more than three dozen books by other authors. See the books area of this site for details.

Professional Speaker
Mariah has spoken professionally since 1987: to associations, corporations, colleges, government agencies, and sports groups. Clients include AARP, Accenture, American Association of University Women, American Organization of Nurse Executives, Bell Atlantic, Brim Healthcare, Fairview Health Systems, General Services Administration, IBM, Iowa Paint, Girl Scouts, Merrill Lynch, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Organization for Women, Navy Occupational Safety and Health, Nike, Physicians Mutual Insurance Company, Public Building Service, TRW, US Census Bureau, US Department of Justice, USA Today, Women in Technology, Young Presidents Organization, and hundreds of other organizations. She also speaks on university and college campuses: Brown, Colgate, Duke, Mount Holyoke, Nebraska, Oberlin, Ohio, Radcliffe, Rutgers, Smith, and hundreds more.

She is Past-President of the National Speakers Association/Washington, D.C. Area.

• Oxygen Media
• The Washington Post
• Knight-Ridder/Tribune (the first nationally syndicated women's sports column)
• Women's Sports and Fitness

Journalist
Mariah has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Newsday, Working Woman, Ms., Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Shape, Self, USA Today, and hundreds of other publications.

Board Service and Leadership

• Charter member, AARP Foundation's Women's Leadership Circle (2005+)
• Board member, Mosaic Harmony Gospel Choir (2005+)
• Advisory Board Member, Washington Business Journal
• Advisory Board, National Women's History Museum (2000-2004)
• President, National Speakers Association/Washington, D.C. Area (President 2001-02; 4-year board term)
• Board member, Washington Independent Writers (1990-92)
  

Media Resource
Mariah has appeared on Today, Good Morning America, PrimeTime Live, Dateline, Nightline, Donahue, Larry King Live, Crossfire, ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, Geraldo Rivera (five times!), National Public Radio's Diane Rehm Show, Terry Gross Show, and hundreds of other television and radio shows. Her books have been reviewed in, and/or she has been quoted in, the Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News, Mademoiselle, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, New York Times, Parade, Philadelphia Inquirer, Sales and Marketing Magazine, San Francisco Examiner, Seattle Times, Self, Shape, Village Voice, Washington Business Journal, Washington Post, and hundreds of other papers and magazines.

Communication Professional
In 2005, Mariah served as Chief Speechwriter and Acting Director of AARP's speechwriters, op-ed writers, letter-writers, and bloggers. In this role, she:

• Managed a team of executive writers (speeches, op-eds, talking points, handouts, letters, blogs) plus freelancers. Assigned and supervised projects; monitored budget; offered discipline, organization, and clear expectations to staff.
• Wrote for AARP's COO and other executives.
• Wrote articles for AARP executives that were published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today. Provided editorial support to Board of Directors, National Officers, and Executive Team.
• Collaborated with Media, Public Outreach, Branding, Board Support, Knowledge Management, State Communications to provide consistency in message and tone.
  

Speaking Coach: Speaking Success For Athletes
Mariah is the co-founder and co-owner (with Arnold Sanow, MBA, CSP) of a consulting business called Speaking Success for Athletes, individualized coaching for athletes who want to achieve as much success on the podium as they have on the playing fields. Also available to other professional and aspiring speakers.

Former Stanford University and Professional Athlete
Mariah played basketball at Stanford (‘78), where she was the leading scorer all four years, averaging 19 points per game in her senior season; one rebounding record (most in a single game: 20) remained unbroken for 24 years. She also played professionally in France and in the first women’s pro league in the United States (WBL). She now swims two miles each morning, lifts weights, rides a bike, and plays golf. She also coaches her mother, Sarah, who holds three Arizona State records for women aged 75 to 79.

Frances Willard Society
Mariah founded the Frances Willard Society, an online community designed to foster teamwork and professional development among people who write about women’s sports, in December 1998. The list now has more than 130 writers. To sign up: Send an email to FWS-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Background & Education
Born in April 1956, Mariah was raised Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, then moved to Arizona with her family when she was 16. She graduated from Arcadia High School in Phoenix, received a B.A. in psychology from Stanford University in 1978, and received a masters in public health from San Jose State University in 1983.

Her father is a retired hospital president; her mother is a retired psychiatrist; her sister is a trial lawyer; and her brother is an entertainment lawyer. Mariah lives in the Washington, D.C. area, with her life partner and their dog, Rocky.

She also sings tenor in Mosaic Harmony, a community choir that draws on African-American spiritual music to "unify the world, one song at a time."

Honors and Awards
Mariah has won numerous awards for her writing and speaking, including:

• 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America: (2007). Mariah Burton Nelson was given this honor by the International Institute for Sport. Other awardees: Tiger Woods, Bud Greenspan, Phil Jackson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Eunice Kennedy-Shriver, Billie Jean King, Mike Krzyzewski, Robert Lipsyte, Donna Lopiano, Cal Ripken, Jr., Bill Russell, Dawn Staley, Vivian Stringer, Pat Summitt, John Wooden, and others. See full list here.
• Short Fiction Prize, Northern Virginia Review (2006)
• Pollin Award for Outstanding Dedication to the Community (2004)
• Capital Outstanding Speaker Award, National Speakers Association/Washington, D.C. Area (2003)
• Highest Woman of Distinction Award, Greater Washington Women's Network, (2002)
• Communications and Leadership Award 2002, District 27 Toastmasters
• National Association of Girls and Women in Sport’s Guiding Woman in Sport Award (1996)
• Induction into the National Women in Sports Hall of Fame (1996)
• Run, Jane, Run Nancy Rehm Memorial Award (1996)
• Arlington (VA) County's Distinguished Woman Award (1994)
• Women’s Sports Foundation’s Magazine Journalism Award (1988)
• Amateur Athletic Foundation’s Book Award (1992)
• Mariah's book, The Unburdened Heart, was nominated for the Christopher Award, given to artists whose work "lights a candle rather than cursing the darkness." Previous award winners include Desmond Tutu, Elie Wiesel, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and Bob Hope. The winner was Lance Armstrong, for It's Not About the Bike.