August 2018 Anniversaries

Here are the August 2018 judge anniversaries!

15 years

from Brookhaven, United States
from Pasadena, United States
from Wadern, Germany
from Hainesport, United States

10 years

from San Sebastian, Spain
from Alicante, Spain
from Redding, Connecticut, United States of America
from North Miami, Florida, United States of America
from Copenhagen, Denmark
from Linz, Austria
from Strasbourg, France
from Adelaide, Australia
from Carol Stream, Illinois, United States of America
from Fuenlabrada, Spain
from El Temple / Cambre – A Coruna, Spain
from Argyle, Texas, United States of America
from Napoli, Italy
from Monza, Italy
from Amatitlan, Guatemala
from Bourges, France

5 years

from Valby, Denmark
from Palm Beach, Florida, United States of America
from HERBLAY, France
from San Leandro, California, United States of America
from Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
from Antofagasta, Chile
from Valby, Denmark
from Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
from Buenos Aires, Argentina
from Canberra, Australia
from Athens, Ohio, United States of America
from Alameda, California, United States of America
from guangzhou, China
from Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
from London, United Kingdom
from Toronto, Canada
from Euless, Texas, United States of America
from Walnut Creek, California, United States of America
from Melbourne, Australia
from Melbourne, Australia
from Halifax, Canada
from Calgary, Canada
from Vigo, Spain
from Vigo, Spain
from Burlington, Canada
from Creston, Illinois, United States of America
from berkeley, California, United States of America
from Hartford, Illinois, United States of America
from Spring City, Pennsylvania, United States of America
from Sherwood, Arkansas, United States of America
from Tijuana, Mexico
from Melbourne, Australia
from Cambridge, United Kingdom
from Oslo, Norway
from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States of America
from Tokyo, Japan
from Sarasota, Florida, United States of America
from Tokyo-to, Japan
from México DF, Mexico
from Shizuoka, Japan
from Franktown, Colorado, United States of America
from Temuco, Chile
from Kingston, Canada
from Columbia, Maryland, United States of America
from Morris, Illinois, United States of America
from TOLEDO, Ohio, United States of America
from Asheville, North Carolina, United States of America
from Elgin, South Carolina, United States of America
from St. John’s, Canada
from Normal, Illinois, United States of America
from Belle Mead, New Jersey, United States of America
from Ohshu,Iwate, Japan
from Hurst, Texas, United States of America
from Renton, Washington, United States of America
from Germantown, Maryland, United States of America
from Kutztown , Pennsylvania, United States of America
from Fulton, New York, United States of America
from Georgetown, Kentucky, United States of America
from Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
from Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
from Austin, Texas, United States of America
from Fall River, Rhode Island, United States of America
from Vancouver, BC, Canada

Congratulations, and thank you for all your hard work!

Goth from the North

This month we are featuring 4 judges: Todd Bussey, Abel Jose Maria Flores Najera, Haitao Jia, and Riccardo Tessitori. , Todd’s RC, had these kind words for Todd’s 5 year anniversary:

I’m so happy to celebrate Todd’s 5-year anniversary as a judge. Todd has been a mainstay on Canada’s west coast and makes his presence widely felt as a rules authority on various online channels. When Todd posts something on the Canadian Facebook group you know it’s going to be a real noodle-scratcher because if HE can’t figure it out you know it’s going to be a puzzle for the rest of us muggles!

Here’s something unique about Todd – he is a great example of how to grow in the program and find your niche. If you take a peek at his exemplar nominations you’ll see he is often nominated more than once by the same person after an extended period. He’s the kind of judge who was impressive when he was new, and then continues to be impressive in the ways he developed as a judge. His reputation as a rules judge is widely known, but he has shown tremendous growth in his community commitments and mentorship chops.

Todd and I spent some time chatting at GP Vancouver when he leveled up to L2. Todd is a little on the introverted side – and I think many judges can identify with that. It’s a common ‘archetype’ of judge – the quiet rules genius! We spoke about how he struggles to see himself as an L2 because many of the people he looked up to were so different from him. He was looking at all of these outgoing, super-charismatic leaders in the program and saw that they were very different than him. He never imagined himself to be like that, so he imagined that advancement in the program would be a challenge for him.

But he found his place – and he found it without having to put on some sort of ‘costume’ trying to be someone else.

Each of us has something important to learn from Todd’s story – the judge program is a big place that thrives on diversity of all kinds. Todd really has a gift, and he doesn’t need to be anyone else other than who he is in order to occupy an important role in our community. Cooperative diversity is how we continue to be creative, challenge each other, and lean on each other to complement the areas we need help with. Each of us has something in us to contribute – and each of you and your unique talents have been and always will be valuable to the rest of us.

Congrats Todd – and keep being you 🙂

An historical figure

Next up, shares with another judge’s experience with his long standing relationship with José:

I certified José María back at Guatemalan Nationals in 2008. I think he was the first certified judge in the country, and he eventually became L2 and certified the next generation of judges, leaving a great legacy before real life took him away from the Magic scene. He recently was re-certified by Eduardo Lee, who remembers him fondly from those old days, when José María helped and encouraged him as he was starting to play this game we love. I asked Eduardo to share a few words about José María now that it’s been 10 years since that Nationals:

I met José María, aka “Chema” approximately 9 years ago, when I was starting to play and get into the cardboard world. At that time, Chema was the only certified judge in Guatemala, and was a highly esteemed member of our community, always ready to help anyone.

Back then, he always encouraged me to dive into the rules of the game, saying that I was cut out to be a judge, something I never believed.

As time passed by, he opened the doors to more opportunities for our country. Since the first Nationals, he was always a mentor for many of the young players. However, there are always hard decisions to make, and in this case, his family was a priority, so he paused his participation in the Magic community.

In his absence, Guatemala kept growing, more judges were certified in the country, more stores opened, we had more tournaments, and the community grew. Ironically, I ended up becoming the judge he always wanted me to be.

During several conversations we had, he always mentioned wanting to come back to the Magic world, that happiness that he never forgot about. After thinking about it, and watching his family grow, he decided to come back Into the Fray, joining his fellow judges, and I had to honor to recertifiy him.

In this, his anniversary month, I look back and remember the long road that we all walked, and notice that he opened this road to many of us, and I’m extremely happy and honored to congratulate him on his anniversary as a judge, and I hope that he’ll stay with us for many more prosperous years.

Always supporting China

We have two Level 3 anniversaries to celebrate this month. First, , the Regional Coordinator for Greater China, had these thoughts for Haitao Jia for his 5-year anniversary:

“Haitao, I don’t know how I can appreciate you more for all these years we have worked together in the program, for everything you have done for the community, for the region, for the fellow judges and for me. I can still remember that GP Bangkok, and the joke we made on your panel in Beijing earlier that year. Now it’s already five years, five years. How many more five years we can have? I believe I’ve written this in your Exemplar several times, but I would still like to thank you for all the help you have given me these years. Those insights you have on regional plans, those standards you made for our regional financial structure, the knowledge you shared with judges in conferences, and all the feedback you have given me about how to become a better judge. Well, no one knows what the next five years will be, just like none of us could have seen five years ago where we are now, but let’s keep our faith, do what things should be done, and so on. Happy 5-year anniversary!”

Soft spoken and wise

Next, we hear from Italy’s RC, , for the 15-year anniversary of Riccardo Tessitori:

“In the last 15 years Riccardo has touched every single aspect of the judge program: sharing his knowledge and support worldwide, while still contributing within the Italian Community, helping me a lot in my RC role, and sharing with everybody else his knowledge, wisdom and unique experiences.

He has written tons of articles, head judged countless GPs and PTs, served a lot of judges, TOs and players. His notoriety has spread worldwide.
When players or judges talk about rules and policy the phrases “Tex said that” “Tex ruled that way” are very often in those conversations. He has been part of the judge program and especially of the Italian Community since the very beginning. I’m extremely proud of having him in my Region. Congratulations and thank you for what you did for me, for Italy and for the whole Judge World in these 15 years!”
Best wishes to both of you for your years of service as a Level 3 judge!

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