MEET THE PROS!
The moderators of the National Academic Championship are unsurpassed in their ability to read the questions with intelligence, congeniality, and enthusiasm; and to judge the answers with accuracy and fairness.
Chip Beall, Executive Director, founded the National Academic Association in 1982, with the sole purpose of assembling the finest academic teams in America for a championship playoff. He is also President of Questions Unlimited. He has served as host and writer of many quiz programs, including Whiz Quiz (1977-85), a production of WFAA-TV (ABC) in Dallas; Know Your Bible, on radio in Dallas from 1981-85; Bill Clinton's Arkansas Quiz Bowl, aka Governor's Academic Competition (1984-85); the Texaco Star Academic Challenge TV quiz programs in Port Arthur, Houston, and Midland, TX, Tulsa, OK, and White Plains, NY (1986-95); the Texas Academic Championship (1993).
This is what Beall does in the Winter.
Mike Mastandrea was one of the three "charter" officials of the National Academic Championship during that first year, 1983. Mike served as judge of the Dallas/Fort Worth Whiz Quiz program, 1980-85, during which time he came up with the basic idea for the Sixty Seconds Round, now widely used by many quiz bowl tournaments across the country. Mike serves as executive director of Marching Auxiliaries of America, which he founded in 1978.
Brick Barrientos was one of the three original "charter" officials of the National Academic Championship during that first year, 1983. Brick was captain of the University of Maryland's College Bowl team, leading them to a national title in 1981. He's the host, creator, and writer for Silver Screen Test, a production of Montgomery Community Television in Rockville, Maryland. His day job: Brick is one of the financial and legal watchdogs over the mutual fund industry for the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ernie Anderson is the creator, writer and host of the Marshall University SCORES Academic Festival tournament.
Doug Joubert has been the moderator for the Louisiana State Quiz Bowl
championships since 1992. He teaches advanced studies at an all-boys
grammar school in New Orleans, where he doubles as the coach of the
elementary Quiz Bowl team.
Jason Russell ...Lighting technician with Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster, PA and an Air Traffic Controller with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.
David Madden , (now living in Germany) in 1999 led his Ridgewood NJ team to the QuizNet title and then all the way to the finals at the National Academic Championship. In Fall 2005, he finished the longest consecutive-win streak (19 games) of any Jeopardy! player except for Ken Jennings. A Tournament of Champions semifinalist in 2006, he amassed $442,400 in total Jeopardy! winnings.