It is with great pleasure that I compose these words to celebrate Tom ‘Woody’ Wood’s ascension to level 3. In his years as a judge, I have seen Tom grow from a newly minted L1 who came to chat to me about the Perth community at PAX Australia to a stalwart of the Australian and South-East Asian judging community.
Throughout his career as a judge, Woody has always worked to improve his community and himself, asking important questions and prompting action where he can’t solve his own problems. I have been fortunate enough to work alongside Tom at many events, and have watched him develop into a capable, confident leader. On several occasions, Tom has stepped in with no notice to cover gaps that would normally require a more senior judge, and he has never failed to impress in these difficult circumstances.Outside of events, Woody is an active and visible member of the judge community, serving as the region’s emojismith-in-residence. Many of you will have had been able to read his guide to judging at your first GP (now available in 6 languages!) and he has taken an active role in numerous projects aimed at helping judges build new skills.
One of the great things about Tom is that he is constantly reaching out to judges across the country and world whenever he sees an opportunity to make things better. I am incredibly excited to see what’s next for Woody as he steps into his new role as an L3 judge, and even if he just keeps doing what he’s already doing he will be one of the greats.
You can congratulate Tom on his promotion post on the Magic Judges Facebook page.