Regional Coordinators

Sebastian Pękala
Level 3, Poland

Sebastian Pękala
Level 3, Poland

Sebastian Pękala is the Regional Coordinator Leader, providing leadership, insight on the challenges for the Regional Coordinators, and coordination of the global efforts of this group’s goals and tasks.

Regional Coordinators lead the region they are responsible for. They coordinate judges, help with staffing events and serve as a bridge between judges, organizers, and players. They are usually the first point of contact for any judge related matter.

The Regions

Tasks of Regional Coordinators

  • Provide an in-region judge whom other judges can contact for questions about the Judge Program.
  • Provide a regional resource for organizers and distributors seeking judges for events.
  • Provide the region with a spokesperson to the Judge Program leadership.
  • Provide a leader whom the Judge Program can use to communicate with judges in the region.
  • Provide assistance to Wizards of the Coast or distributor representatives for major tournaments within their area.
  • Be involved in player investigations in their region.
  • Be consulted on serious matters regarding judges in their area.
  • Be consulted about sponsorship of deserving in-region judges.
  • Provide support for major events and conferences.
  • Assist in recognition of judge efforts in their region.
  • Help Level 1 judges gain experience and skill to advance to Level 2.
  • Report on major events in their region.
  • Be involved in the certification process during Grand Prix.
  • Mediate and help in conflicts in their region involving judges and/or Tournament Organizers.
  • Foster acquisition of new Level 1 judges.
  • Cooperate and coordinate tasks with Level 3s in their region.
  • Provide assistance with the Level 3 Advancement process by evaluating the self-reviews provided by Level 3 candidates, and creating Level 3 Assessment Exams.

Qualities of Regional Coordinators

Regional Coordinators are evaluated during a selection process on the following qualities:

  • Responsiveness.
    Should answer to emails and messages they receive within 1 week.
  • Accessibility.
    Should be easily reached through at least one communication channel (emails, phone, Facebook, chat programs) known to their community.
  • Level 3 recommendations.
    Should be able to help Level 3 candidates get recommendations, or to provide feedback on how to improve in order to get one, or to facilitate someone who can help the candidate.
  • Growth and improvement.
    Should have a plan of action for growing their community both in quality and in quantity.
  • Retention and morale.
    Should have a plan to avoid judge burnout and to keep the community involved and motivated.
  • Conferences.
    Should be able to organize conferences every year as a tool for community building and improving the quality of local judges.
  • Recognitions.
    Should motivate judges with recognitions and should lead by example participating in the Exemplar program.
  • Mentoring.
    Should have a plan and awareness of different levels of mentoring in their region.
  • Performance evaluation.
    Should be able to evaluate the judges in their region, provide feedback, and intervene in case of underperformance.
  • Demotion procedures and disciplinary measures.
    Should be able to determine when misbehavior from judges in their region needs to be escalated to the appropriate channel.
  • Conflict resolution.
    Should be able to mitigate conflicts involving a judge in a diplomatic way.
  • Protection of diversity.
    Should be able to create and support a safe, welcoming and diverse community.
  • Professionalism and diplomacy.
    Should be able to be respected and to have a good, diplomatic and professional relationship with their regional leadership.
  • Communication with the community.
    Should be aware of all major changes in the Judge Program and be able to communicate with the judges in their region explaining said changes in their structure and philosophy.

Current Regional Coordinators

Below are the judges currently holding the Regional Coordinator role, and the countries, states and territories in each region.

Australia & New Zealand

Countries: Australia, New Zealand

Mark Brown
Australia

Mark Brown
Australia

Australia & New Zealand

Greater China

Countries & territories: China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan

Hans Wang
Taiwan

Hans Wang
Taiwan

China

Japan

Countries: Japan

Mitsunori Makino
Japan

Mitsunori Makino
Japan

Japan

South East Asia

Countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand

Wearn Chong
Malaysia

Wearn Chong
Malaysia

South East Asia

BeNeLux

Countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands

Niels Viaene
Belgium

Niels Viaene
Belgium

BeNeLux

Europe – Central

Countries: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic

Sebastian Pękala
Poland

Sebastian Pękala
Poland

Europe - Central

Europe – East

Countries: Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Kuwait, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates

Yuval Tzur
Israel

Yuval Tzur
Israel

Europe – North

Countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden

Johanna Virtanen
Finland

Johanna Virtanen
Finland

Europe - North

France

Countries: France

Sophie Pagès
France

Sophie Pagès
France

France

German speaking countries

Countries: Austria, Germany, Switzerland

Stefan Ladstätter
Austria

Stefan Ladstätter
Austria

German speaking countries

Iberia

Countries: Portugal, Spain

Sergio Pérez
Spain

Sergio Pérez
Spain

Iberia

Italy & Malta

Countries: Italy, Malta

Cristiana Dionisio
Italy

Cristiana Dionisio
Italy

Italy

Russian speaking countries

Countries: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine

Eugene Bazhenov
Russia

Eugene Bazhenov
Russia

Russian speaking countries

United Kingdom, Ireland & South Africa

Countries: Ireland, South Africa, United Kingdom

Jack Doyle
United Kingdom

Jack Doyle
United Kingdom

United Kingdom, Ireland & South Africa

Brazil

Countries: Brazil

Bruna Chiochetta
Brazil

Bruna Chiochetta
Brazil

Brazil

Hispanic America – North

Countries: Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama
Territories: Puerto Rico

Carlos Ho
Panama

Carlos Ho
Panama

Hispanic America – North

Hispanic America – South

Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Adrián Estoup
Argentina

Adrián Estoup
Argentina

Hispanic America – South

Canada

Countries: Canada

Jon Goud
Canada

Jon Goud
Canada

Canada

USA – Central

States: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

Eric Levine
Missouri

Eric Levine
Missouri

USA - Central

USA – Great Lakes

States: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio

Meg Baum
Michigan

Meg Baum
Michigan

USA - Great Lakes

USA – Midatlantic

States: District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Eric Dustin Brown
Virginia

Eric Dustin Brown
Virginia

USA - Midatlantic

USA – North

States: Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Rob McKenzie
Minnesota

Rob McKenzie
Minnesota

USA - North

USA – Northeast

States: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

Megan Linscott
Maine

Megan Linscott
Maine

USA - Northeast

USA – Northwest

States: Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Territories: Guam

Scott Marshall
Colorado

Scott Marshall
Colorado

USA - Northwest

USA – South

States: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

David Hibbs
Texas

David Hibbs
Texas

USA - South

USA – Southeast

States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina
Countries: Barbados

Nicolette Apraez
Georgia

Nicolette Apraez
Georgia

USA - Southeast

USA – Southwest

States: Arizona, California, Nevada

John Hornberg
California

John Hornberg
California

USA - Southwest