Maria Baltazzi

Maria began her television career shortly after graduating from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a minor in Broadcast Management. She then attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where she and a classmate became the first two women to earn an MFA in Film. Years later, following professional and personal setbacks, Maria pursued studies in happiness and mindfulness, ultimately earning a Ph.D. in Conscious-Centered Living from the University of Sedona. Her first job in television was at KCST-TV, an NBC affiliate in San Diego, where she worked in the Traffic Department, inputting commercials into the station's daily program log. She then spent nearly five years planning media campaigns for KRON-TV, an NBC affiliate in San Francisco. Maria later moved to Los Angeles, transitioning to production. She began as a TV show researcher and advanced to the roles of producer and director. ==Personal life==

Maria has visited all seven continents twice and explored over seventy countries. She scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in November 2008 and October 2015, trekked to Everest Base Camp in May 2009, crossed the 15,000 ft Salkantay Pass to Machu Picchu in 2015, and climbed Mount Olympus in Greece in 2016. As an avid distance walker, Maria completed the New York City Marathon in November 2009, the Los Angeles Marathon in March 2010, the Athens Marathon in October 2010, the Great Wall Marathon in China in May 2011, the Solar Eclipse Marathon in Port Douglas, Australia, in November 2012, the Safaricom Marathon in Kenya in June 2013, the Rio Maratona Caixa in Rio de Janeiro in 2014, and the Last Marathon in Antarctica in 2015. She participates in marathons to raise funds for Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation and Stand Up to Cancer. ==Awards and Accolades==

• 2025 The Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist: "Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2025 #1 Amazon Bestseller in Creativity Self-Help: "Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2025 Independent Press Award: Winner: Self help: Motivational “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2024 National Indie Excellence Award: Wellbeing Winner and Personal Growth Finalist “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2024 New York City Big Book Award: Wellbeing Winner “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2024 Best Book Awards: Nonfiction:Creative Winner and Self-Help General Finalist “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2024 Nautilus Silver Book Awards: Creativity & Innovation “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2024 Best Holistic Life Magazine: Best Personal Growth Book of the Year “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2024 Paris Book Festival: How-To Runner-Up “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2024 Hollywood Book Festival: Wild Card (Anything Goes!) Honorable Mention “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2024 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards: Honorable Mention on both How-To Prompting and Sel-help/Inspirational “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want” (Author) • 2011 Movie Guide Awards Nominated: Faith and Freedom award for Television Program: "Sarah Palin's Alaska" (Executive Producer) • 2009 Emmy Awards Nominated: Best Cinematography for Non-Fiction program: "Expedition Africa": Stanley & Livingstone" (Executive Producer) • 2005 Emmy Awards Nominated: Outstanding Reality-Competition program: Survivor: Vanuatu & Survivor: Palau (judged as one show) (Supervising Producer, Survivor: Vanuatu) • 2004 P.G.A. Awards Nominated: Television Producer of the Year Award in Reality/Game/Informational Series: Survivor (Supervising Producer) • 2004 '''30th Annual People's Choice Awards Winner': Favorite Reality Based Television Program: Survivor'' (Supervising Producer) • 2003 Emmy Awards 4 Nominations: Survivor: Thailand & Survivor: The Amazon (judged as one show) (Supervising Producer, Thailand) • 2003 '''29th Annual People's Choice Awards Winner': Favorite Reality Based Television Program: Survivor: Thailand'' (Supervising Producer) • 2003 '''TV Week's Annual Critics Poll Winner': Number 1 Reality Show & Number 7 Favorite Show: Survivor'' (Supervising Producer) • 2002 Emmy Awards 4 Nominations: Survivor: Africa & Survivor: Marquesas (judged as one show) (Supervising Producer, Africa) • 2002 '''28th Annual People's Choice Awards Winner': Favorite Reality Based Television Program: Survivor: The Australian Outback'' (Supervising Producer) • 2001 Emmy Awards 6 Nominations, 2 Wins: Outstanding Non-Fiction Programming, Special Class Winner and Outstanding Sound Mixing for Non-Fiction Programming (single or multi-camera): Survivor: Borneo & Survivor: The Australian Outback (Supervising Producer) • 2001 '''27th Annual People's Choice Awards Winner': Favorite Reality Based Television Program: Survivor'' (Supervising Producer) • 2001 Family Television Awards given by the Family Friendly Programming Forum (3rd Annual) Winner: Reality/Alternative Programming: Survivor: The Australian Outback (Supervising Producer) • 2001 Emmy Awards nominated: Eco-Challenge: Borneo (Producer) ==Show Credits (partial list)==

• 2017 Earth Live; National Geographic Channel (Executive Producer) • 2014 Women of the Bible; Lifetime (Executive Producer) • 2013 Battle Ground: Rhino Wars; Animal Planet (Executive Producer) • 2012 ''World's Toughest Truckers''; Discovery US/Channel 5 UK (Executive Producer) • 2011 One Man Army; Discovery (Executive Producer) • 2010 ''Sarah Palin's Alaska''; TLC (Executive Producer/Development Executive) • 2009 Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone"; History (Executive Producer/Development Executive) • 2009 ''Greg Behrendt's Wake-Up Call''; ABC (Supervising Producer) • 2005 Bound for Glory; ESPN (Supervising Producer) • 2000 - 2005 Survivor; CBS (Supervising Producer) • 2003 Boarding House: North Shore; WB (Producer) • 2002 American Fighter Pilot; CBS (Producer) • 2001 Eco-Challenge: Borneo"; USA (Producer) ==References==