MDA Spokespeople and Honorees

National Goodwill Ambassador

Bryson Foster

Year(s): 2012

Bryson is a sixth-grade honor roll student, who is an extremely friendly and outgoing young man with a refreshingly positive attitude. His favorite subjects are: reading, spelling and social studies. He’s a “social butterfly’’ and often greets his friends with high-fives. .

North Carolina Boy Named 2012 National Goodwill Ambassador — Press Release
Bryson Foster Named MDA's 2012 National Goodwill Ambassador — Quest News

National Youth Chairman

Luke Christie

Year(s): 2009 to 2012

Luke is a sophmore at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., and plans to pursue a career in the communications field. While in high school, Luke was the president of South Carolina's Future Business Leaders of America, active in The National Beta Club, and served as the arts and entertainment editor for his school newspaper.

Christie Named to Fourth Term as MDA's National Youth Chairman — Press Release

Former National Goodwill Ambassador

Mattie J.T. Stepanek

Year(s): 2002 to 2004

Mattie J.T. Stepanek was internationally known as the best-selling author of five books of poetry, as a peace advocate and as MDA’s National Goodwill Ambassador from 2002 through 2004. Stepanek, of Rockville, Md., had dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy, a genetic neuromuscular disease that impaired almost all of his body’s major functions, such as heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and digestion, and caused generalized muscle weakness. Stepanek died on June 22, 2004, in Washington, D.C., due to complications from his rare neuromuscular disease.

National Personal Achievement Award Recipient

Jonathan O.L.H. Porter

Year(s): 2012

Jonathan O.L.H. Porter, 26, lives in Seattle, Wash. His parents are both retired military, and he is the fifth of six children. Jonathan is a member of the Seattle Mayor’s Commission for People with Disabilities.

MDA Awards Seattle Man its National Achievement Award — Press Release
2013 PAA Finalists
Former National PAA Recipients — PDF

MDA/ALS Division Co-Chairs

Augie and Lynne Nieto

Year(s): 2012

Augustine (Augie) Nieto, a prominent leader in the nation's fitness industry for nearly three decades, received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease) in March 2005. Augie approaches his role as co-chair of MDA's ALS Division with the same ironclad will and determination that catapulted him to entrepreneurial heights in the fitness world.

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