In a May 29 vote, the AGA’s Board of Directors selected Gurujeet Khalsa to be president of the American Go Association, succeeding Andy Okun. Board members Lisa Scott (Chair) and Devin Fraze were also considered for the position. “It is humbling to follow in the footsteps of Andy Okun and his leadership over the past 10 years,” said Khalsa. “I’m grateful for the trust the Board has put in me and will strive to provide even better service to our chapters and members as we promote the game in the US and internationally.” Khalsa served on the Board from 2012 to 2018, including five years as Chair. One of his key achievements on the Board was his initiative for Chapter Rewards, a system for chapters to receive cash awards to be used in go promotion when members join/renew in their chapter or play in AGA rated games. He led the team that established the National Go Center (NGC) in Washington, DC in 2016 with a grant from the Iwamoto North America Foundation and has served since then as NGC Executive Director. The NGC team hosted the 2018 U.S. Go Congress in Williamsburg, VA. At the NGC he’s directed seven annual AGA-rated tournaments, which recently resumed after Covid interruption with a 58-player Cherry Blossom event. He’s also served as TD for the Maryland Open since 2013. Khalsa will assume his new duties as AGA president for a two-year term beginning on September 1.
