Ann Marie Antone encourages Ak-Chin Indian Community youth in both professional and personal time

Written by

Ak-Chin Indian Community member Ann Marie Antone has spent most of her life serving others, especially Native American youth.

In her career, Antone worked with students as a middle school advisor at Maricopa Wells and Desert Winds middle schools in Maricopa. She previously served as Director and Assistant Director for the Ak-Chin Indian Community’s Parks & Recreation Department, and as a member of the Ak-Chin Community Council.

She also served on the Advisory Board for the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI) Foundation. In this role, she seeks out tribes to participate in NABI and helps to locate and secure locations for different NABI events. Antone also partners with tribes to facilitate and sponsor events during the tournament, including the Education Youth Summit, College and Career Fair, as well as entertainment during the games.

Ann Marie Antone with Ak-Chin Indian Community Chairman Robert Miguel and GinaMarie Scarpa, president and CEO of NABI Foundation

The NABI Foundation hosts an annual basketball tournament for teams of Native American players who come from around the country and the world. During the week-long tournament, players also attend college and career fairs and hear motivational speakers.

Antone took this role with NABI because of her involvement with many different tribes around the country. She’s attended conferences and participated in committees with American Indian Business Leaders, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, and the National Indian Council on Aging, to name a few.

Recently, Antone had the opportunity to join NABI representatives on a trip to the Mashpee Land of the Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts. Wampanoag Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell invited Antone, GinaMarie Scarpa, Rose Walton and Lynette Lewis of NABI to attend the Wampanoag Tribe’s 98th Annual Pow Wow. This was an excellent opportunity to build relationships, network, listen to rich history, and enjoy traditional dancing, Antone noted in a recent Facebook post.

A coach for different youth sports, Antone sees the value of youth participating in various athletic activities. “I am a firm believer that coaching our children will teach them about self-esteem, discipline, structure, consistency, self-motivation, and teamwork,” she said in an April 2014 article in the Ak-Chin O’odham Runner Newspaper. “Learning these characteristics help our children become productive adults.”

Thank you, Ann Marie Antone, for your service and enthusiasm for sports and Native American youth!

Carolyn Sostrom

Carolyn Sostrom is a long-time Arizona resident who loves desert sunsets, warm weather, Zumba, and the Western lifestyle. She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale and then Arizona State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Similarly to the protagonist in *The Devil Wears Prada*, Carolyn moved to New York City right after college. She started working for the fashion magazine company Conde Nast but never transitioned to the dark side. After a few years, she left New York in the rearview mirror and returned to her home state, taking a reporter job at the *Apache Junction Independent*. With over 30 years of freelance writing experience, Carolyn especially enjoys writing about community events and profiling individuals who are making a difference in their communities. She had the pleasure of interviewing a variety of cowboy personalities for an article she wrote for the *Scottsdale Independent* about the history of DC Ranch and its roots as a working ranch. Now, her Western adventures with CLN have her diving into the rugged automotive scene, exploring the trucks and rigs cowboys rely on for work, home, and play, a niche where grit meets horsepower. She works at Raising Special Kids, a nonprofit resource center for families of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Carolyn also volunteers with the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix. Carolyn believes that everyone has a story, and she loves connecting with others to hear their stories. She’s dedicated to ethical journalism and accurate reporting, which shines through in her storytelling.