Answer:
There were rulers, councils, or just general lords.
What were some important people from the Mayan civilization?
Not a comprehensive list but some rulers that must be mentioned.
Jasaw Chan K'awiil
He is known as the one responsible for bringing Tikal back to life after a long period of Calakmul dominance. He is known as the greatest king of Yax Mutal (believed to have been the Maya name for Tikal). He also was behind many building projects in Tikal. Perhaps the most famous temple of this city, Temple I or The Temple of the Great Jaguar is associated to him as his tomb was found within the temple.
Pakal ascended to the throne of Palenque at the early age of 12 and died still being a king at the age of 80, having the longest known regnal period in Maya history. At the time, his contemporaries may not have not had big expectations from him, yet, he is the most famous of all Maya rulers.
He is known for expanding the city of Palenque, in the western side of the Maya area, he transformed Palenque into one of the great urban centers of Mesoamerica in the late classic period. His building projects, such as the Temple of the Inscriptions are one of the best examples of Maya engineering, architecture and art. King Pakal is also known for his tomb, which is the most elaborate Maya tomb yet discovered.
Spearthrower Owl
Archaeologists gave the name Spearthrower Owl to visually describe this enigmatic character found in non-Maya glyphs. He and another ruler Siyah K'ak represent an important moment in Maya history as they tell us of the entrance of Teotihuacan-style culture into the Maya area. It was from this point that we start to see Mexican influence in the Maya lowlands (central Peten region in Guatemala). There is a debate among Maya experts on the significance of this, but the general belief is that this represents a strong political authority that the powerful Teotihuacan in central Mexico had at some point in the Maya area.
K’inich Yax K’uk Mo’
The founder of the Copán dynasty (modern day western Honduras). He was not native to Copán and it is believed that he came from the vicinity of Tikal or an area with Teotihuacan influence further west . Other than being the founding father of Copán, he is also famous for his goggles, which are associated with the Teotihuacano rain god, Tlaloc, therefore, his association with foreign (Mexican) origins.