Yury Konnikov is the co-director of TAL. He holds a BA degree in Management Information Systems from Florida Atlantic University and is completing his master's degree in public administration and policy at the University of York. His passion for civic involvement began in high school when he joined the City of Boca Raton's Education Advisory Board as a student member. Since then he has served as a voting member and Chair of the Education Advisory Board. While a student at Palm Beach Community College, Yury was elected Student Government President, serving from 2003 to 2004, and also served as Student Trustee on the PBCC Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2005. Yury has published several articles and editorials in PBCC's campus newspaper, The Beachcomber, and other newspapers, and is involved in a number of community and political activities. Yury's interests include electoral reform, public policy, urban planning, and international politics.