In Palm Beach County, an Engine of Sports Accessibility is a Politician

All photos courtesy of the Palm Beach County Sports Commission

Palm Beach County has had a lot going on recently: soccer, golf, volleyball, even croquet and polo. And if you ask the Palm Beach County Sports Commission how all that came about, they’ll go outside the box, talking not just about the county’s venues and weather and great attractions but about a person: Mayor Maria G. Marino. 
 

“The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a stronger organization because of Mayor Marino’s leadership,” states George Linley, the sports commission’s executive director. “Her impact on our county’s sports landscape has been transformative. Under her guidance, the sports tourism economy has flourished, and our portfolio of events has reached record-breaking levels of success. 
 

But to actually understand how all this came about, you have to take a step back. Marino is a former pro athlete, with a nearly three decades-long membership in the LPGA. 

In fact, it was golf that brought the Connecticut-born college links phenom to Florida in the first place. A family friend who was a golf pro at a club told her the Sunshine State was the place to be for anyone pursuing a competitive career.
 

Marino packed her car and drove south.
 

“I guess you could say I am in Florida because of golf and I never left,” she laughs.
 

And in Florida (and the LPGA), she found not only a new home but a purpose beyond simply playing. She served as a mentor, LPGA National Marketing Committee Member, Southeast Section Treasurer and Director of Instruction for the Joanne Carner Golf Academy.  
 

Central to her background – she got her start playing on a hometown municipal course as an 18-year-old and carrying her own bag – was an awareness of the importance of public facilities and their role in not only developing young athletes but contributing to overall wellness in the community.
 

“Sports should be available to everybody,” she states. 
 

Seeing an opportunity to help facilitate this, she became involved in politics, first serving on the Palm Beach Gardens City Council from 2016 to 2020, including two terms as Mayor, where she championed economic growth, infrastructure improvements and community-driven policies.

“During her tenure as Mayor of Palm Beach Gardens, she strengthened our PGA TOUR event, the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, helping elevate attendance to all-time highs,” points out Linley. “ Her leadership continues to shape the future of sports in our region.”
 

In 2020, she was elected to the Palm Beach County Commission, where she currently serves as Mayor.

And while the area might never have had a pro athlete in politics before, she says the background has been helpful.
 

“I’ve put the work in, I know what it is and what it takes to be competitive. Keeping all our fields and parks in good shape is my priority.”

“As a former professional athlete and passionate advocate for sports, she brings unmatched enthusiasm to our county and its sports industry,” agrees Linley. “Her deep love for athletics has been a driving force behind Palm Beach County’s emergence as one of the nation’s premier sports destinations. She has played a pivotal role in the development of dynamic sports venues, including Gardens North County District Park, now a thriving hub for sports tourism, and the Miracle League Field, which breaks down barriers for children with mental and physical disabilities to experience the joy of America’s favorite pastime.” 

And in fact, for Marino, accessibility has become a hallmark of Palm Beach County, right now to creating beach access for those with mobility impairments; many parks offer free beach wheelchairs and ramps that slope gently down to the water.

Accessibility, she adds, also means affordability. And when Palm Beach County recently had to raise usage fees for its municipal sports fields, it was quickly noted that for volunteer organizations (defined as those with officials and others who were giving of their time, rather than being paid, to make programs possible), fees would be waived.
 

“We want kids to be athletic and healthy,” Marino notes. And, she notes, so do those who work in the organization.
 

“The folks in our parks and recreation department are there because they love it.”
 

That love paid off. In September, the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department earned national accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). 
 

CAPRA is considered a gold standard, and earning accreditation is a multi-year process, requiring demonstrating compliance with 154 national standards across every area of departmental operations, including planning, policies, procedures, staffing, programming and community engagement.

Over the past four years, the county’s department has developed nearly 900 evidence-of-compliance documents to meet these standards, an effort supported by staff from every division.

Marino is proud of the department for what it has accomplished, and notes that its central tenet – making recreation available to all – continues. In the pandemic, golf, tennis and pickleball participation shot up, as did many other sports that could be played outside a private club scenario.

“People discovered all the great things that were available in parks,” she points out. The county’s outdoor facilities – boat ramps, playgrounds, beaches and other facilities – were not only more sought out but more appreciated, making upkeep even more vital. Marino saw that it took place.
 

Palm Beach County’s biggest cheerleader hasn’t slowed down. She remains active in organizations benefitting the underserved, including having acted as  Executive Director of the Jupiter Children's Foundation for more than 20 years and serving on the boards of the Children's Golf Foundation and The First Tee of the Palm Beaches – as well as more than 30 other nonprofits.

In 2024, she was inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame, in recognition of achievements both on the golf course and far beyond. 

For Marino, it always goes back to the users. Palm Beach County may be the place that hosts pro golf, MLB spring training, fishing, football and an enormous variety of travel sports – but it’s still home to youth players and those who want to head out to local parks and other areas. Because as Marino says, “All our sports benefit everyone.”