The Executive Director of AGLOA is R. Lawrence Liss. A resident of N. Palm Beach FL, Larry has been involved in every national academic games tournament since the first was held in 1966.

The long-time Assistant Director of Information Systems for the West Palm Beach School Board stays busy in retirement from that position. He continues as Director of the Palm Beach Academic Games League, one of the largest in the nation.

Larry coordinates all aspects of the national tournament: housing, meals, scheduling, awards. Name any job for nationals, and he either does it or sees that it gets done. Although he thanks many others at the Awards Ceremony, the biggest "Thank You" goes to him.

Little known fact about Larry: He played in the NCAA Division II basketball tournament in the 1960s for the University of Chicago. His younger brother later played in the Division I tournament for Memphis State.

Nick Wang of Ann Arbor MI was already in the AGLOA Hall of Fame for the ten individual national titles he had won since starting AG in sixth grade. He culminated his career by winning the Senior Individual Sweepstakes Championship and an Outstanding Senior Award at the 2009 AGLOA National Tournament in Knoxville TN. He also won the Equations championship for the sixth time. He has been part of 12 national championship teams and 26 state championship fives.

In his letter nominating Nick for the Outstanding Senior Award, Eric Nelson wrote:

When he was in 8th grade, he was selected by his teammates as one of the captains of the Clague AG team. This meant that he spent most of his practice time teaching 6th graders how to play, showing 7th graders new variations, helping students with worksheets, and generally doing anything he could to help the team. He would always stay after practice to help clean up the room, pack up the games, and to report to me about the progress of the students that he had worked with that day. He shocked me after one practice when he picked up a broom that the custodian had left in the room and started sweeping the floor. By the end of the year, the rest of the 8th grade students were following his lead and staying after practice to help clean up. He was the unquestioned leader of the team.

It was obvious to me when I first met Nick that he was going to be an excellent AG player. He is extremely intelligent, works very hard at everything he does, and loves challenges. But he has become so much more than that. He has become an assistant coach, a team leader and a role model for younger students. He has accomplished so much, and has done it all with grace, humility, and a kindness that permeates everything he does.

Congratulations, Nick! Your priceless contributions to academic games won't be forgotten and hopefully aren't finished.