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Mary Nelson is a retired lawyer with a distinguished career that spanned more than 40 years across both public and private sectors. A native of St. Louis, she joined the Board of Nine PBS in 2017 and has served on the Finance and Audit Committee since that time. She currently chairs Nine PBS’s Government Affairs Committee.

Nelson’s law practice concentrated in real estate, construction and business law. She was highly sought after for her skills in bringing creative and elegant solutions to tough problems. She also was drawn to public service and served in a variety of roles at organizations at both the local and state levels: ranging from the St. Louis Development Corporation and the City of St. Louis Employee Pension Board, to serving as general counsel and legislative director for the Missouri Speaker of the House, as Director for Boards and Commissions, and even as part of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.

Nelson received her bachelor’s degree in political philosophy from Princeton University and her law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law.

While her strong commitment to public service has led her to volunteer for many nonprofit organizations, Nelson is passionate about public media and its critical role in education. Her mother, Kathryn Nelson, an educator and advocate, hosted Growing Together, an original program on Nine PBS in the late 1970s exploring early childhood development.