In 2009, NASPA took over from the NSA the role of honoring a member of the North American SCRABBLE® community with the title of Michael R. Wise Memorial Person of the Year (formerly Director of the Year).
The following table shows for each year the newsletter issue number in which the award was announced, the awardee and their home state or province.
| Year | Issue | Person of the Year | Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | n/a | John D. Williams, Jr. and Jane Ratsey Williams | New York |
| 2008 | 225 | Seth Lipkin | Massachusetts |
| Keith Smith | Texas | ||
| 2007 | 218 | Chris Cree | Texas |
| 2006 | 210 | John Chew | Ontario |
| 2005 | 202 | Sherrie Saint John | Massachusetts |
| 2004 | 193 | Matthew Hopkins | Pennsylvania |
| 2003 | 187 | Larry Rand and Barbara Van Alen | Arizona |
| 2002 | 177 | Carol Ravichandran | Michigan |
| 2001 | 170 | RA Fontes and Ruth Hamilton | Oregon |
| 2000 | 163 | Mary Rhoades | Texas |
| 1999 | 155 | Margaret Bauer Williams | New Jersey |
| 1998 | 148 | Mady Garner | Tennessee |
| Bernard Gotlieb | Québec | ||
| 1997 | 137 | Gwen Bishop | California |
| 1996 | 129 | Siri Tillekeratne | Alberta |
| 1995 | 121 | Bonnie Rudolph | Arizona |
| 1994 | 113 | Johnny Nevarez | California |
| 1993 | 105 | Michael Wise | Ontario |
| 1992 | 97 | Ron Tiekert | New York |
| 1991 | 91 | George Heussenstamm | California |
| 1990 | 84B | K.C. Kozlowski Hoffmeister | Florida |
| 1989 | 81 | Stan Rubinsky | California |