| Subject | Creator | Description |
| Aaron Hammer | Johnpaul Adams |
Aaron, I usually recognize my newly minted judges with the Judge Mat I give all new Level 1s, but I believe you deserve this extra recognition. You handled the floor of your first event like that of a Level 1 judge with a half-dozen events already under their belt, was thinking ahead and problem solving on the fly at that event. You helped by taking over as HJ at the prerelease when I needed to get sleep before the events the next day for the final three rounds while still juggling playing your own matches as well. And, most importantly, you were incredibly impressive at the Comic Town Winter Classic. Jarrod and I both said to each other at different points during the day that, even though you weren’t a Team Lead on that event, you were one of the few judges with a solid pulse on and “running the floor”. I’m beyond excited to have you in the judge program and can’t wait to keep seeing this high level of L1 performance grow even stronger over the events you have coming up. Great job! |
| Aaron LaCluyze | Nicola DiPasquale | I knew I would not go wrong with Dr. Science with me at ODEs on Sunday of GP Pitt and you did not prove me wrong. You stepped up in several instances coordinating with judges to cover the floor and with our map checker to make sure things were running smoothly throughout the day. That was a big assist as you knew I was busy trying to keep everyone pumping out events since we were on happy hour all day long and flooded with events! Thanks for all the help! |
| Aaron LaCluyze | Brian Brown | Cluze, I have learned so much from you re: judging. You are always available if I need to bounce an idea or judge call off you. Your head judge documents for keeping track of the tournament stats have made writing my tournament reports easy and the head judge announcements sheet you shared with our community is very helpful. I would be happy to work with you anytime! |
| Aaron LaCluyze | Vincent Roscioli |
Aaron, While I have not interacted with you as frequently as others, each time you have come across as someone who excels at identifying potential issues early and addressing them before they can escalate. Your recent tournament report/article on cascading re-pairs is yet another example of this–you took a topic that many would feel is just an unfortunate event that happens _to_ a tournament and showed that in fact it is something that we can proactively help to manage. |
| Alexander Strange | Nick Louzon | Alex, I admire the leap you have made from full-time competitive player to part-time judge. You took the opportunity to learn the craft and it can be seen when you’re playing how it has affected your interactions with others. You’re a shining example of how the L1 process can indirectly, and subtly touch all aspects of the game. |
| Alison Chambers | David Rappaport | Alison is a judge very local to myself. As a L1 Alison has been involved in mentorship of other judges in multiple locations, development of a new magic community, and finds time for playing and Judging MTG. Alison is an exemplar in my opinion for those Judges who want to balance “real life” with Judging. Alison is professional, skilled, and knowledgeable at every event I have seen her staff. Very often the “hobbyist” judge is under-appreciated. I wanted to recognize Alison for her commitment and as an example that the judge program is built on the efforts of L1 judges like her. The Players that populate highly visible events come from communities built and maintained by judges like Alison. |
| Andrew Thompson | David Rappaport | Andy, whom I affectionately refer to as my “doppelganger”. I have been meaning to write this recognition since the Exemplar program started. Andy does what he does very quietly. He is not explosive or flashy. He is steady, reliable, effective, and committed. He is also commonly looked over. It is easy to miss what he contributes to the Michigan community, but we dont have anything to worry about in mid to northeastern Michigan because Andy has it… and has for a very long time. The proof comes to us in excellent Judges who have benefited from his counsel and players that speak highly of him. Andy is an example of What L2 can be locally. |
| Anthony Bucchioni | Ben Sturtz | Anthony, I really appreciate the leadership that you have brought to the Judge community in the Greater Cleveland Area. Your efforts coordinating PPTQs has been a boon for the rest of the L2s in the area. Beyond your work coordinating local competitive events for all area L2s, your leadership has been key to the reforging and honing the skills of L2s in our area. You are very often the leader that the rest of us look to for an upstanding example of what an L2 judge should aspire to be both at events and in terms of community involvement. It is always a pleasure working with you. |
| Anthony Bucchioni | David Elden | Tony, you’re the sort of judge who says little, but does much. Your contributions are rarely showy or extravagant, but they don’t need to be. Whenever I see your name near mine on a team assignment or staff list, I’m excited, because I know that whatever comes at us, you’ll be ready to handle it with a collected, can-do, attitude. |
| Arthur Edson | Randy Tice | Art- you are exactly what is the epitome of a mentor. I know life has restricted what and where you can gain exposure. I am greatful that you have been a mentor and friend over the past couple of years (and continue to be). I nominated you because you are the embodiment of what a great judge is- hard working, selfless, mentor, clear speaking, and rational. Thank you for all the extra work you do behind the scenes to make Michigan one of the greatest states for judges! |
| Arthur Edson | David Rappaport | At or about the beginning of 2015, Arthur committed to take on a more active role as State Captain for Michigan. Over this past year, I have seen him honor that commitment in real and relevant ways. Arthur is active and involved in the Leadership discussions for Michigan business… occasionally serving as a capable intermediary between the L3s. He has met criticism diplomatically and effectively. All of this balanced with his work and the challenge of raising a young family. Art is an example because he was doing an adequate job prior. He is an exemplar because he was willing to do better, to see himself better than adequate and make that commitment. This commitment to grow beyond good is a cornerstone of the Judge program… it deserves to be acknowledged. |
| Ashlee Moran | Erick Carlsted | Ashlee was an enormous help to me after GP Madison. Despite having finished her shift end several hours before, she decided to stay an help tear down the stage and WotC stands. I was tasked with going around the hall and tearing down the large planeswalker stands. While tearing them down alone is possible, her help was greatly appreciated. She then traveled with me around the hall tearing down more banners and putting them away. I made sure she was OK helping us, considering she didn’t have anything really keeping her there, but she was happy helping us anyway. Thank you Ashlee! |
| Ashlee Moran | Stephen Hagan | Ashlee, I saw you in action at one event, but you just oozed the qualities I look for in the judges. You were running learn to play, not exactly the sexiest of events, but you obviously cared. The cherry on top? After it was over, some more people came up, you came to stage and had me get the tablets BACK OUT so you could run more. Super you. |
| Ben Litz | Thomas Fritz | You have grown in leaps and bounds this past year. You achieved L2 later that I understand that you would have liked, but you made up for that lost time in a way I didn’t even imagine possible. You overcame and came out the gate running, in an exemplary way, despite anything else. Your contributions to the state and the program are evident when I look at your intense event history, not to mention the PPTQ load you take on to make sure that the state of KY shines! I fear I may be burned out if judges like yourself weren’t stepping up to the plate in such an amazing way. |
| Ben Litz | James Risner | Ben is the primary contributor of errors and additions to our statewide competitive events calendar use by nearly every player in the state. He seems to always find the time to help manage this by contributing more updates than the other 3 judges “helping” manage this list. It is an excellent resource and I fear it wouldn’t be as good without his work. |
| Ben Sturtz | Frank Singel |
Ben, You are probably my favorite person to travel with, as you’re always so on top of travel organization. Everything from departure to arrival, as well as lodging has always been handled so well by you. It’s wonderful to have everything so well planned. Most importantly, you are why I can so safely travel to farther events, as I would not dare to travel so long so late for my own personal safety. I don’t think I’d judge much outside of Ohio if it weren’t for you. |
| Bernd Buldt | Marcos Sanchez | Bernd, I want to recognize you for your exemplary leadership in our local community. Every time we have one of our monthly Fort Wayne Judge Meetings, you’re always making sure that everyone is heard, that people don’t interrupt each other, and that we keep focused and on track for what we really want to accomplish. Your leadership and ability to keep the group going has certainly inspired me to step up and make sure we have some more direction as well, and try to have each meeting be productive no matter what. Thank you for your ability to keep our group focused and driven to achieve great things in our community. |
| Bernd Buldt | David Hibbs | For a very interesting discussion on the nature of the judge program and its relationship to WotC: past and present, even before the Great Distortion. I look forward to continuing these discussions another time. Also, perhaps more importantly, for caring enough to present the program–including its pros and cons–clearly to those you recruit and mentor. This level of care for the feelings of those you work with is exemplary. |
| Bernd Buldt | David Elden | Bernd, your experience and insight are invaluable to the Fort Wayne area. But as impressive as that is, you also possess the rare talent of stepping back and letting others develop through experience. In our area judge meeting discussions, you are quick to share opinions and help the rest of us grow, but just as quick to encourage the rest of us to do likewise. Your mentorship has been a great aide to my and many other Ft. Wayne area judges’ development. |
| Brian Rapp | Daniel Regewitz | Brian Rapp came into an event I was organizing on short notice, when I was desperate for help. Not only that, but he helped me make the last push I needed to finally complete my LV2 Checklist. If this wasn’t enough I’ve seen his name numerous times on social media feeds answering questions, engaging other judges, and being an awesome diplomat of our game and our greater community. And thus I want to recognize Brian for being an all-purpose awesome, exemplary judge. Keep up the good work. |
| Brian Rapp | John Temple | At SCG Columbus, you were part of a team that had the momumental task of running side events on not one but two balconies. Along with this you set up the system for running ODEs while I was getting scheduled events organized. You went up and down the stairs over 50 times throughout the day with not a single complaint. You were outstanding at this event and I thank you for all the hard work and effort you put in. |
| Carsten Haese | Kush Singhal | Carsten, thank you for your contributions to Cranial Insertion! You’re going above and beyond in answering questions for the global community by writing articles and answering tweets! Your articles were instrumental in fostering my development as a judge, and I continue to read them today! Great job, and thank you! |
| Carsten Haese | Todd Bussey | Carsten is a class act. I remember the first time I encountered him, on the now defunct Wizards Rules Q&A forum, his tone was gruff and his rules knowledge was exceptional. He approached the rules from a very practical place because judges have to be practical. At that time, I wasn’t a judge and I approached the rules from a very theoretical vantage point. My first interactions with him, I found him harsh and I felt that my presence irked him. Later when I started posting in MTG Salvations forum, where he was a moderator, he gave me a rough ride as I piled up infractions for un-necessary forays into corner-case land or posting tangential tidbits to an OP’s question. At this point, I figured he hated me, but I persevered and conformed to the rules of the board. He helped me become aware of my impractical posts and somewhat brought me back to earth. Essentially, he caused me to review my behaviour and forced me to grow as a judge, I didn’t realize it right away, but having my own judging experience now, I see how he was challenging me to improve. I’m also impressed with how Carsten continues to be as active as time permits him to be since his personal tragedy, if the same tragedy befell me, I don’t know that I could continue in the program as he has. He is a shining example of dedication and perseverance. He still shows up in the Ask a Magic Judge irc and helps out with it behind the scenes. For all of these things, Carsten deserves recognition. |
| Carsten Haese | Paul Baranay | Carsten, thank you for all the work you do, especially for the JudgeApps Account Assistance team. I really appreciate your suggestions for how to improve this process, and I’m incredibly grateful for your advice and support. |
| Carsten Haese | David Rappaport | This is going to be short. Without Detail, Carsten has understandably stepped back… Still he makes a global contribution through participation in rules based publications. we all benefit from what he does. I want to recognize that and tell Carsten that we love and miss him. |
| Carsten Haese | Rob McKenzie | Carsten, you said you were dialing back your involvement in the judge program recentl due to family committments. That means you are only being one of the most active generators of content on Cranial insertion and one of the most frequent question answerers on the #mtgjudge IRC. Those are some of the strongest community connections we have, and I think your contriubutions are exemplary there. Thank you. |
| Cary Austin | James Risner | Cary offered to help on a smashing 103 person PPTQ and asked to test. After asking the TO, I put him on staff without much expectation. To my surprise, he was far more knowledgeable than your typical L1 on policy and tournament operations and certainly more than you expect an L1 candidate to be! |
| Charles Trepod | Joel Nerenberg | Charlie is a great judge and representative of the Judge program. He’s always friendly and open to hearing people’s questions and concerns. He’s very accommodating of the many new players who are always coming to his store for from the university and playing their first sanctioned event. |
| CJ Steele | Marcos Sanchez | CJ, you have absolutely taken a leadership role in the community with your position at your store. I want to thank you for going that extra mile, particularly with taking a relatively new player, 10 year old Ethan under your wing. Between sitting down with him to improve his skills, putting together a call for other players in the store to contribute to a deck for him to play, and making such an impression on both him and his parents, you’ve really demonstrated what it is to build your local community. Great job! |
| daniel hall | Nick Louzon | Dan, you continue to impress me. You’re growing as a judge, working larger events, and it’s all about Magic, not ego, greed, or anything else. The two stores you work closely with are lucky to have as dedicated a judge as you to help them out (as you know, sometimes you need a judge!). |
| daniel hall | Matt Sauers | Dan, your continued drive to develop yourself is observable. From the year before in Toledo to the recent SCG Cinci, your presence and command on the field has increased notably. Watching you proactively address player needs and event issues on the floor at Cinci was a treat and I thank you for such exemplary behavior. |
| daniel hall | Johnpaul Adams |
Dan, At SCG:Cincy, you were the only judge to ask for feedback after we were off the floor of that event. We did have a good twenty minute conversation about good things I saw throughout the day and things to improve on but more importantly, for me, you actually sought out feedback to improve your skillset as a judge. That speaks volumes for your growth and continued growth as a judge. It was great working with you in Cincinnati and I can’t wait to work with you again. |
| Dave Bartlett | David Rappaport | So the other day I contacted an applicant for L1. I apologized because I had not gotten to him as soon as I would have preferred. He assured me that he was fine and that he had been finding excellent tutelage with Dave Bartlett. This isn’t the first. Dave has been pivotal in his area. He is a very old and dear friend. His contributions are not a surprise, but definitely worthy of recognition. |
| David Elden | Nick Louzon | Dave, you continue to produce great learning tools for the Judge community. Your recent blog post on OGW Update was extremely helpful and gave a quick synopsis of the changes that affect us with the new set. For that alone, you deserve this. There are numerous other reasons that will go unsaid, though. |
| David Elden | Cris Plyler | David your work to continually help educate judges deserves recognition. Both your Blog and your continued work at events, asking questions to judges to help educate them on both policy and rules is a prime example of what judges should strive for. Keep up the good work! |
| David Elden | Matt Sauers | David, your orchestration and maintenance of monthly judge meetings creates a sense of community and belonging for our state. What started as a local project has really grown this season, and your regular supporting articles and presentations are exemplary to the program. We are better with you than without you! |
| David Elden | Bernd Buldt | Dave: I wish to commend you for the new set FAQ’s you write and post in general, but think the one for BfZ was particularly helpful — exemplary, keep up the good work! |
| David Elden | Sherwin Ng | Thanks for clarifying the latest IPG changes in your OGW Update Digest article. There were a few judges, including myself, who weren’t quite sure on how to processes Hidden Card Error and the partial fix where a required zone change was missed. Your examples helped to flesh that out. I’m sure the rest of the community can now cite your examples to have a better understanding of the new change. Great job in making these scenarios! |
| David Incorvati | Frank Singel |
David, I’ve been wanting to write you one for awhile, except you leveled up before I could give you my L1 rec. Anyways, when I last worked with you, I was super impressed with your determination to become L2 to handle the PPTQs to the south and east of Cleveland. At the time, you were probably the most impressive L1 in the room, so I was wondering more how long it would take for you to reach L2, rather than if you were at all. I look forward to judging with you again! |
| David Rappaport | Jacob Milicic | At Grand Prix Madison, you took me aside after I handled a tardiness call and asked me some questions about how I handled it. While I was a little intimidated at first, it became readily apparent that your goal was to raise my awareness of how I was dealing with tardiness and how I might do better from a customer service perspective by asking some questions of the tardy player. I really appreciated your approach in mentoring and have since passed the valuable ideas you shared on to others. |
| David Rappaport | Jake Maheu |
Dave. Dave, Dave, Dave. Thank you so much for helping me test for L2 earlier in the year on such short notice. You gave me some really incredible insight into the goals of the program and the below-the-surface responsibilities of advancing as a judge. You’re a fantastic contributor to the program as a whole and always come across as level-headed when the tempers of others are heated. Keep up the fantastic work! |
| David Rappaport | Nick Louzon | David, I was on your team at GP Indy and you guided me through a stressful 2nd GP. Your way of pressing for answers about my mental state was greatly appreciated and it helped me understand what exactly I was thinking instead of giving a robotic answer. You took time out of your day to make sure I had a few one-on-one chats and that made the difference between feeling like a judge and a Judge. Thank you. |
| David Rappaport | Billy Gilmore | I have known David for almost a year now and the “marks” that have been left on me by David are vast and deep and I know that because of his help I will continue to grow and some day pass that mentorship on to other judges. David is always happy and welcoming to people when I have seen them meet him and he will go out of his way to talk to other judges throughout the day and I call him a “cheerleader” because he always makes people feel happy when they are done and they are also pumped up to complete the activity that he has them doing. David would be awesome if he just stopped there but he does not he is always looking for ways to make the judges that he comes in contact with grow and get stronger and this is not a fun thing to go through but he does it in such a way that you know it is for your best and that he will be there to support you as you through it. I rank David in top three judges that had taught me the most in this program and I hope that his “marks” will always be visible on me. |
| David Rappaport | James Risner | I’ve worked with Rappaport many times from when I was just an L1 to several other events once I became L2. He has helped me improve by being a great sounding board and giving excellent advice. I’m a better judge today in a part, as a result of his help. Thank you! |
| David Rappaport | Samantha Davis | On Slips team at GP Indy, I was late arriving to help sort slips at the end of one of the rounds. Instead of berating me for being late, or deciding that I was unreliable and not giving me further responsibility, you took me aside and told me that I was to be in charge of sorting slips for the next round. You gave me a second chance to prove that I could handle responsibility, rather than giving up on me. I think that this is an example of exemplary leadership. |
| David Rappaport | Rafael Dei Svaldi | This is a long due recognition I should have made to David. A long time ago, I attended a GP in the US. I was team leading, and David as on my team. David had always a smile on his face, no matter how boring the task. More important, he put a lot of effort in making me feel conformable and welcome at the event (it was one of my first time in the US). I cannot express how important was for me, on those circumstances, to receive the support David offered me. For the efforts in making a strange, Brazilian guy, feel welcome and part of the team, I would like to recognize David as an example to us. |
| Dennis Sparks | Ben Litz | Dennis, you went out of your way to staff an PPTQ despite having business and family issues at the time that would have deterred most others from attending. You showed up ready to work and gave 150%. Thanks for your commitment and dedication. |
| Dylan Wolter | Nick Louzon | Dylan, thanks for showing everyone what a L1 can do. You’ve helped me out with numerous calls during FNM, taking attention away from your own matches to help players figure it out. You’ve set the standard for being ‘always on’ and it has helped the Magic community directly. |
| Frank Singel | Peyton Turner | Hey Frank, you’ve been a lynchpin of the greater Cleveland area for years now, but since I’ve become an L2 I’ve been increasingly exposed to your commitment to this area. Your finger on the pulse of magic in our area and outside of it is a help to us all. Every time I see you ask the judges around you what events we’ve applied for, and suggest applying to events further afield, or smaller events nearby we may not have heard of. You are the primary coordinator of transportation and lodging for the Cleveland area judges. Additionally, I know of the work that you’ve put into trying to provide judging opportunities for L1s in our area. Your commitment to the program is exemplary. |
| Frank Singel | John Temple | At SCG Columbus, you were part of a team that had the momumental task of running side events on not one but two balconies. You went up and down the stairs over 50 times throughout the day with not a single complaint. You were outstanding at this event and I thank you for all the hard work and effort you put in. |
| Gregory Tongue | Frank Singel |
Greg, I’ve heard about how you properly handled a cheating incident at your store. While it is expected of L1s to successfully identify cheating and execute the penalty, actually pulling the trigger on someone tends to be easier said than done, especially when rationalizing the player’s actions as only mistakes might seem to be the easier option. I’m even more proud that you accomplished this without waiting for the approval of a more senior judge. For context, I don’t believe I’ve seen another judge issue a DQ without first consulting another judge for a nonagressive infraction. I consider your integrity, policy knowledge, and autonomy to be exemplary for an L1 such as yourself. |
| Gregory Tongue | Peyton Turner | Hey Greg. Being exemplary is about many things, and particular instances of exemplary behavior are just one facet. Your dedication to providing an environment that is inclusive and welcoming continues to be an enormous benefit to the community, especially younger players and less traditional players. While I’ve had fewer chances to talk to you recently that I have in the past, I’ve had plenty of chances to talk to people who have, and they continue to have only positive things to say. Your presence has been a huge boon to the recent efforts by myself and others to introduce new players to the game. Thank you, and keep up being exemplary! |
| Heidi Sitten | Brian Brown | Heidi, now that I have more recognitions, I want to commend you on the PTQ you worked with me. You were more dedicated to growing with the program than anyone I had seen. You knew any rules questions I could throw at you and offered to stay through the entire top 8, even though you had a LONG drive home. Other staff that lived closer were asking to leave, but you had no issues staying til the end. You rock! |
| Heidi Sitten | Nicholas Sabin | Heidi, even though you don’t live in my region anymore, I wanted to recognize you for the major work you did in raising a judge community in the Raleigh-Durham area. There are many judges in that area who regard you as a leader, and that inspirational leadership is sorely missed now that you’re living in Michigan. We miss you, and I hope to run into you at another event soon. |
| James Darrow | David Rappaport | James is returning to “active” judging from a long hiatus. He has been a noticeable presence since his return. What I find to be exemplar worthy is his level of rules and policy precision which he returned with. Prior to his return, James was a “casual” or “hobbyist” judge… one legitimate concern for judging at that frequency and reach is the sharpness of rules and policy knowledge… James is an example that we can stay sharp even when left in the drawer. |
| James Risner | Ben Litz | James, you have donated a significant amount of your time working to make KY a better place to judge. You’re constantly looking for ways to better and build the program in KY and we have greatly benefited by it. Thank You. |
| James Risner | Niko Skartvedt | James shadowed and mentored John Bai at GP Vancouver. This was not easy, and James provided some great insight in developing John as a judge. |
| Jarrod Williams | Ben Sturtz | Jarrod, you have been a great leader for the state of Ohio even before you became the State Captain. Your leadership has helped many L2s coordinate events such as PPTQs, GPTs, and SCG IQs. Scheduling these tasks would have been more difficult for the rest of us without the effort that you had put in. Beyond that, your commitment to mentoring and certification L1s and L2s in the area is second to none. I really appreciate the work that you do for our community. I hope to work with you again soon. |
| Jarrod Williams | Marcos Sanchez | Jarrod, thank you for your assistance in writing my article on diplomacy. You took a significant amount of time to review and offer incredibly useful and constructive feedback to help focus the tone and find a way to make the true message shine, and without that I feel like the finished product wouldn’t be nearly as helpful to the community at large. Thanks for your direction and your guidance on that! |
| Jarrod Williams | Johnpaul Adams |
Jarrod, it is always encouraging to work with you because: A) I know the event is going to run smothly, no matter how crazy things are where we sit on stage. I’m so happy to have you as a State Captain and fellow judge who chalenges me to be a better judge. Thank you. |
| Jarrod Williams | Steven Briggs | For demonstrating incredible poise and presence throughout the RC selection process. |
| Jarrod Williams | Ben Litz | Jarrod, Thank you for all the help and leadership you give us in KY. You have made yourself available even after you moved away from being our state captain. You are still always there for questions and guidance. You are an invaluable resource for us and a constant voice of reason and motivation in our KY Leadership group. Its much appreciated. |
| Jason Adams | Sam Robinson | Jason has been working diligently with his local store and it’s really his community building that I want to commend him on. Jason is a judge that, in the span of a year, built a fantastic community in his store by constantly holding great events, and fostering good sportsmanship through his actions. If that wasn’t amazing enough, he decided that he needed a new challenge, uprooted his life and moved 4 hours away and is working on doing it all over again in a new town, and from everything I hear, he’s being successful and building a fantastic new community down in KY. If more judges were like Jason working on a calendar of events, we’d have too many events to run because Jason’s events are always full, fun and exemplary. |
| Jeanie Wilt | Bernd Buldt | Jeanie: I wish to recognize you not only for consistent general awesomeness in all things TO’ing but in particular for your recent push to educate local judges on possible tax implications their status as contracted workers may have — maybe not well-received by everyone, but exemplary nonetheless! |
| Jeanie Wilt | David Elden | You’ve been a fixture of the Ft. Wayne area Magic scene for years, and have been doing the work of a judge for much longer than you’ve been officially certified. The work you’ve done at Game Annex to make a friendly, welcoming, fun environment for FNM’s cannot be understated, and your perspectives as a tournament organizer and businesswoman at our judge meetings have been invaluable. |
| Jeff Kruchkow | Marcos Sanchez | Jeff, you are always an active contributor to our local judge area meetings and managed to bring a fresh perspective to an area that could always use it. I was extremely impressed with the clarity which you presented ideas to help our local area, along with your ability to contribute productively to an active discussion about the program in general every meeting you’re at. Your enthusiasm is fantastic, and you’re a welcome addition to our community. I think you for your positive impact that you’ve made on us all. |
| Jennifer LaCluyze | Ryan Stapleton | Jennifer took challenges with stride at GP Pittsburgh. Here event had some significant delays that were not in her control. She took control of the event and once space was available had it running as clock work. The delays did not impact her focus and any frustration did not show though! You did a great job carrying it though to completion. |
| Jeremy Toma-Cooper | Billy Gilmore | I have now known Toma for over three years and along with a couple other judges that reached out and supported me when I first started out he has always been a judge that I always look to for guidance and leadership. In the Grand Prixes that I and Toma worked together he has been always willing to do anything that is asked of him and that includes the thankless jobs like unpacking and packing of GP kits. You will never see him complain he just put is head down and works harder that I think he needs to but he takes great pride in his work. When I feel like I cannot go on any more he lifts me up and I know that I am going to do great things because of his support. |
| Joe Winiarski | Arthur Edson | Joe has done an excellent job learning and helping run Competitive events. He is blazing fast at deck checks and very good with player interactions. Even when tasked with double duty running the counter, he is a rock solid judge. |
| John (David) Fleig | Jarrod Williams | Your commitment to the local community is amazing. You consistently run great events and the judges that you have trained are extremely solid people that I’m glad to work with anytime. You have worked time and again with other judges and stores to give the best events you can to the community. Your mentorship and community building are examples for other judges in the community to aspire to. Keep up the great work! |
| John Alexander | Johnpaul Adams |
John, It’s great to se you take initiative and seek out judging at the Competitive level as an L1 judge and you’ve shown to be more than competent at both events I’ve had the pleasure of working with you. I especially wanted to call out the solid work you did on Side Events at Ohio States. You ran that area of the event smoothly with few (if any) questions. I never had any issues with sides and players even commented on how well the events were being run. Thanks for the great work on both events here in Columbus and I lok forward to working with you again in the near future! |
| John Kmiecik | David Rappaport | John doesn’t contribute to the community in a very visible way. As the primary organizer for one of the area’s larger LGS, he is quite busy and has little time to work on his own advancement. For me, John is an Exemplar for two reasons. Recently, John has had the realization that he can’t realistically pursue L2 advancement. John has faced this bravely as an adjustment and not as a failing. Secondly, John has focused his efforts toward online activities and projects. His support of these initiatives (some relating to score-keeping issues) have been quiet, but of great benefit. I wanted to make sure he gets recognized for his work. |
| John Temple | Jake Maheu | I really appreciated your assistance when I was trying to handle that double DQ situation. Your advice was extremely helpful when I was feeling anxious about the whole situation. Keep up the good work and grats on L3; you’ve got the leadership qualities the program needs. |
| John Temple | Jacob Milicic | At Grand Prix Madison, you spent a great deal of time when we were both off-shift talking with me about the judge program in general, my personal goals, and some difficult steps I was trying to take involving a review of another judge. I was both pleased and honored at the level of personal attention you gave using your free time, and thoroughly enjoyed our walk and talk. I feel I have greatly benefited from your mentorship, and other judges could benefit from your example. |
| John Temple | Randy Tice | John- where to begin? We have had many opportunities to work together, study together, share stories of conquests and defeats. I am extremely grateful for you coming to Michigan and immediately stepping into the Captain’s role, which you and Art are taking multiple judges and personally mentoring them. As my career continues, I am very endebted to you for all the mentoring sessions we have had, and will continue to have. I hope that I can be the mentor you have been to me to others in the program! You are awesome and inspiring all in one package! Thanks John for the late night calls, text messages, Facebook messages, and emails that I have used to gain inspiration, new direction, and even motivation! |
| John Temple | Steven Zwanger | John, at Grand Prix Oakland, even when on other tasks (e.g. working on the floor plan for the main event and reconciling the paper floor plan which showed 18 table per row with your instructions for 20 tables per row), you still found time to take judge calls on both the Modern Showdown and Friday 2HG #2. |
| John Temple | Chase Culpon | John–Thank you for being fantastic at SCG NJ. Despite being sick, you were solid & reliable all day long, including handling a situation with some difficult, emotional players. You also gave me the best feedback I’ve gotten since certifying–you had outstanding, detailed observations of what went right and what went wrong, and concrete suggestions on things I could do to be better prepared and handle things more smoothly. That’s a valuable thing, and look forward to applying it the next time we work together. |
| John Temple | Craig Stambaugh | John, you and I had a very long conversation at Grand prix Pittsburgh when I was not having a very good weekend. Thank you for taking the time to remind me what it means to be a judge. |
| Johnpaul Adams | Jonah Kellman | JP – you joined Mystical Tutor towards the end of our first season, but you came in at the right time. I can count on you to produce quality work on time (if not for the internet to tell me about it). Beyond that, back at the Invitational in Columbus, you were very insightful and were able to provide useful feedback, both for my presence on the floor as a Judge, but also with regards to the then-new Mystical Tutor project. |
| Johnpaul Adams | Jarrod Williams | You’ve made yourself a huge resource to the Columbus community for L1 certification. The process you’re using to mentor candidates is producing quality L1s while incorporating them into the judging community immediately. As a result the area is benefiting with more quality judges. Keep up the good work! |
| Johnpaul Adams | Ben Sturtz | JP, you are a skilled judge and have a particularly special eye for keeping specific jobs on track and perfectly sequenced. I can’t count how many ComicTown events that you have served as scorekeeper or floor judge, wherein you were key in keeping other judges on task and the overall event running smoothly. In particular I want to thank you for printing and cutting my slips at the recent ComicTown 5k side event GPT. I certainly could have handled that task in addition to posting pairings, starting the round, and adding round end times to the pairings. That small bit of help really made my job less hectic and allowed my event to progress very smoothly. It is always a pleasure to work with you. I hope to do so again soon! |
| Jordan Kennedy | Johnpaul Adams |
Jordan, There aren’t many judges who have recently taken an active interest in becoming a better judge as well as taking an interest in what I do as a scorekeeper. You’ve taken both the initiative to start applying for bigger events and at the store, especially over the OGW pre-release weekend, you stepped up and helped cover the scorekeeping aspect of some of the events (which I usually cover) You’ve also helped fill in at times when I was unable to judge at smaller weekly events and expanded your judging skillset by learning to scorekeep these smaller events effectively. Also, the work you did the evening I had to leave the pre-release early scorekeeping and covering for me judging the evening I left ill at the OGW prerelease. Thanks again for your continued hard-work and dedication to the local judge program! |
| Josh Stothers | David Rappaport | Josh isn’t the most active of our L1 judges, but when I ask for his help, he will move a mountain to assist. Once again, I have called on him to assist with the editing of the GP Detroit travel guide. He was happy to help and did yeoman work. His service will benefit many judges visiting our fair city. Just stay away from dark alleys. |
| Julia Adams | Ben Litz | Julia, I appreciate all you have done to help build the community here in Lexington. You are judging multiple regular and comp. level events every week. Giving up practically every weekend to make sure the players in Lexington and surrounding areas have a great event to play in. Having just recently became a certified judge, you have impressed me on how much you have committed to in such a short amount of time. Truly exemplary. |
| Lexie Mettler | Benjamin McDole | Lexie, I owe you quite a bit of thanks! Your work as a project lead on the AMTR is beyond overdue for recognition, so for that alone I owe you a debt of gratitude. It’s worth noting that your chapter was the first one completely finished, despite having the largest and most dense material. Additionally, you’ve dealt with many challenges and potential issues with the judge program with a maturity that some of the people assigned levels above you have not seemed to master. I know that you will continue to do great things as you find your way in 2016! |
| Marcos Sanchez | Rob McKenzie | Marcos did an awesome job on the BFZ Prerelease Guide we produced as part of the Customer Service project, and has been very active and engaged both in the project, and in the Midwest judge community. He even presented on delivering rulings at the Madison Judge Conference! |
| Marcos Sanchez | Bernd Buldt | Marcos: I wish to commend you for how you brought your work for the Community Sphere back to our local community and took the lead in surveying players at local prereleases — exemplary! |
| Marcos Sanchez | David Lyford-Smith | Marcos – your energy and momentum got the IPG for Players project back into gear out of nowhere. This was a really impressive and valuable contribution and I think the project is a very interesting one. I look forward to working with you on making it a success. |
| Marcos Sanchez | David Elden | Marcos, you’ve impressed me time and again with your initiative and community focus. Your article on diplomacy, your and Patrick’s recording and distributing judge seminars, and your work in the player experience sphere show a genuine desire to learn as much as you can about judging and then share that with others. You’ve already learned a lot, and you have a lot to continue to offer the community. |
| Matt Sauers | Kenny Perry | Matt has been a key member of the MTG Judge Study group for a few years now and this year mentioned to me that he may have to opt out, too many obligations and after discussing it with him he agreed to try and keep going. Since then he has given much more than I had hoped for and I know it is difficult to add more responsibility when it seems rough to handle, for continuing to help in this project and to show how much he is appreciated I would like to recognize Matt as an exemplary judge in the Magic community! Thank you Matt. |
| Matt Sauers | Thomas Fritz |
On what feels like a weekly basis lately, you have brought up great discussion topics. I always feel welcome and adequately challenged by the questions you pose, and the responses of others. Often the issues are not ones many are comfortable talking about, yet you somehow make it open for discussion. Your willingness to dive into areas of disagreement and spur discussion openly does great things for the judge program. Many have things they wish to say that they know others disagree with, and your dedication to making those questions open and free through public forum encourage great (and necessary!) discourse within the region, and the program at large. Thank you for giving me (and many others) a much better time voicing our (sometimes wrong, sometimes heavily disagreed with) positions on contentious issues! |
| Matt Sauers | Nick Louzon | Captain Matt, I appreciate the way you handled a dispute over compensation between a local judge and store. You, above everyone, decided to step back from the situation, gain knowledge of where each party was, and approach it as a learning experience for all. It’s unfortunate when a situation like that arises, but with your leadership, it will hopefully be a one-time occurrence. |
| Matt Sauers | Sam Robinson |
Matt is my State Captain, and he has taken great lengths to assure all of us in Indiana that we can have a voice in discussions whether or not we agree with the consensus opinion. In fact, Matt a lot of the time does not agree with the consensus opinion and very clearly and articulately expresses his point of view while leaving room for discussion points, and listening thoughtfully to all the opinions expressed towards him. While Matt may not agree with everything that comes down from above him, he executes orders with style and tact and a smile. To boil it all down, Matt is an exemplary leader who helps foster discussion without encouraging trolls. |
| Matt Sauers | Bernd Buldt | Matt: When you recently drove to Fort Wayne to join us for our monthly judge meeting you impressed me, again, with the deep, deep concern you show for players and judges alike. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything you say, if we all were as caring as you are, both the player and judge community would be an even better place — I’m happy to have you as my exemplary state captain! |
| Matt Sauers | Charlotte Sable | Matt is always someone I can turn to when I find myself morally troubled by something related to judging. Matt’s honesty and willingness to speak truth to power no matter what the consequences is inspiring and something that the judge program needs much much more of. |
| Matt Sauers | Matthew Karr | Matt, I’m recognizing you for the work you did on SCG Cincinnati. At the open, we had a surprise additional 300 ish people and had to reorganize the room. You really owned the expectation and managed to add those 300 seats in under an hour, which is an insanely impressive pace, eliminating the delay from lack of space and made the event easier for literally everyone |
| Max Cotton | James Risner | Max spends more time on policy and MTR than your typical L1 and the discussions that result helps other judges in the area. Also still holding the title for some of the larger events ran by Non L2, a solid addition to our state. |
| Meghan Baum | Stephan Classen | Meg, you’ve been a great force doing awesome work for Judge of the Week, and I wanted to recognize that you’ve been a great force for the project. Your insightful comments are a great way to help add in new ideas for the project, and I appreciate the energy you bring! |
| Meghan Baum | Rob McKenzie | Meg has done a really excellent job mentoring people in the Midwest – I have multiple L2 candidates that have come to me and said “yeah, Meg helped me with problem X I was having”. Plus, she makes people feel very welcomed on the Magic Judges of the Midwest Facebook group – I’m always excited to see her so excited about new judges. |
| Meghan Baum | Arthur Edson | Meg has been working hard to build a welcome guide for L1s in our state. She is always looking for ways to improve the community in Michigan and I for one really appreciate all of her hard work. |
| Meghan Baum | Nick Gajary | You may not remember me, but your performance at GP Indianapolis left a lasting impression. In addition to being a capable, patient team lead, you took a special interest in the difficulty I was having finding someone to administer L2 exams. I was blown away by the passion and tenacity you showed on my behalf, and that – coupled with your always-stellar contributions to the regional social media group – is why I believe you are an exemplary member of the judge program. |
| Meghan Baum | Steven Briggs | You have shown tremendous growth over the past several months in terms of how you are leading and taking a “heart of service” approach to leadership. |
| Meghan Baum | Sherwin Ng | I’ve been really impressed by the way you reach out to new judges by asking them something about themselves in the Magic Judges of the Midwest Facebook group. It can get pretty intimidating to join a large group as a new person but you make them feel welcomed and valued with the way you warmly greet them. I hear judges from other regions have also picked this up practice! My certified judges definitely appreciated the way you welcomed them into the group. |
| Meghan Baum | James Bennett | I wanted to thank you for your efforts at SCG Milwaukee; you had to deal with a sticky staff situation that could’ve brought down your team and the event, but you handled it with diplomacy and aplomb and produced a grateful Head Judge (me) in the process. |
| Michael Anderson | Jarrod Williams | Mike, I am really impressed at how you are taking on new challenges like when you requested to lead sides at a SCG Open. You’ve taken them head on and learned from them and taken the time to share the information with others. You used this experience to write a tournament report to help others learn. This is a credit to your commitment to your development as well as your commitment to helping others improve. Keep up the good work! |
| Michael Anderson | Johnpaul Adams | Thanks for your excellent work scorekeeping the Standard Ohio States for us here in Columbus. You did an excellent job managing the front of the room during a very hectic two days of scorekeeping and we had very few (if any) issues from WER across the event and those we did were handled swiftly by you. Keep up the great work! |
| Michael Ellingson | Andrew Doyle | One of the hardest aspects of what we do is to recognize your deficiencies and improve upon them. Michael, every time I work with you, you always have a great moment to share with me from your road of self-improvement. The amount of effort that you’ve put in to our local community has not only highlighted your role as a local TO and judge, but that effort has shown a spot light on just how far you’ve come with your ability to lead in our local community. Your performance at the SCG States weekend back in October, both with interacting with players and managing your time between the floor and the store, made me realize the amount of care you take to ensure that The Stadium is a great place for every person to come play at. |
| Minh Vu | Sherwin Ng | You made a gallant effort to get your PPTQ winner to be able to enter into the RPTQ in Indianapolis. Despite a clerical error, he was listed as a winner on the planewalker points site but the associated invite was not processed. You made several calls to the store’s TO and worked with the RPTQ staff in getting him slotted in. This was an amazing customer service win and I’m sure made the player’s day! |
| Minh Vu | Ben Sturtz | Minh, you are a positive force within the judging community for a number of reasons. I want to especially thank you for educating me in the judge side of being part of a coverage team. I was a bit intimidated going into the assignment at SCG Cincinnati; however, with your guidance I had a great time (in additional to putting out good coverage). I always enjoy working with and learning from you. I hope to do so again soon. |
| Minh Vu | Matt Sauers | Minh, you are a force of nature in the judge program. Your direction of and management of PPTQs in SW Ohio is by far the most exemplary world wide, with a dozen TOs that you have helped foster in the system directly. Thank you for managing what would be another black hole near my own area single-handedly. You are among the judge Einherjar! |
| Minh Vu | Mani Cavalieri | You have been an incredible help on the Questions for Mystical Tutor. When Joe Hughto asked me to work on Questions, I didn’t imagine working on them with anyone else – but now, I can’t imagine working on them without you and AJ. And as AJ and I have had to take time away from the project, you have consistently stepped up to keep the content coming. And not only that: You put effort and consideration into all the questions you write, despite the conflicting requirements of writing questions that test specific corners of the rules without the questions themselves being solely corner cases. Thank you, very much, for your exemplary contributions to Mystical Tutor! |
| Minh Vu | David Elden | Minh, every time I see you, I’m amazed at how much you do for your area. I keep myself plenty busy and I live in a smaller city with three more L2’s! Between PPTQ’s, developing stores, and working at larger events and conferences, I don’t know how you do it all. Your reach and influence spread far beyond your hometown to judges all across the region. In addition to your community building, you’re a great mentor to even experienced judges both online and at events. |
| Nathan Hudson | David Rappaport | Nathan Is currently pursuing L2 Advancement. He’s a good candidate, and I am aware has been working diligently with his Mentor. I have little doubt that he can make his goal a reality. This is not why I feel he is an example for others to emulate. In his activities, He has participated in a support group for local L2 applicants. In this, he has been a stand out as he has not only participated regularly, but has actively supported the other applicants and initiated some of the discussion topics. Id like to see more of this leadership initiative from Nathan and I would like to see more of it in our community. |
| Nathaniel Snyder | Johnpaul Adams |
Nate, You’ve done an excellent job recently growing as a Head Judge for events and have filled in for me as the HJ for some of the IQs and GPTs I couldn’t judge at the shop, even those that came up on short notice. Its been great to see you expand this in your skill set as a judge and begin looking at the L2 process. Good luck as you continue to pursue this process and keep exhibiting the level of excellence you’ve shown as a growing lead judge here in central Ohio! |
| Nick Richards | Jarrod Williams | At Grand Prix Indianapolis, you were given the job to run the ODE brackets to the gathering point after the scorekeepers had printed them. You took the role and made it your own. You helped the registration staff process lines and facilitated communication with judges and scorekeeper to help events begin in a timely fashion. Your hard work made the player and staff experience better. The way you take initiative is admirable and makes me want to work with you at any event. |
| Nick Richards | Ben Sturtz | Nick, thank you for stepping up at the Sept. 12th 2015 SCG Premier IQ in Columbus. We might have been a bit under staffed, but your professionalism and attention to detail was a big part of why we still managed to make the day a success. I especially appreciate how you handled the one player who became belligerent and eventually was DQed (never a fun situation). You attempted to de-escalate the situation but got assistance when it became necessary. I am confident that you will make a great Level 2 judge. I hope to work with you again soon! |
| Patrick Cobley | Marcos Sanchez | Patrick, you’ve really impressed me with your dedication to learning in a few ways. You did a great job studying for and certifying as a Level 1 judge this year, and went above and beyond at the Midwest Regional Judge Conference by recording the seminars so you can come back to them later and help others get a hold of seminars they weren’t able to attend. You took the initiative with these recordings and we now have another resources for judges to learn from, and it’s all thanks to you. On top of that, you were willing and eager to learn at SCG Cincinnati, and when faced with tough challenges, you stepped up and basically took on the lead role for side events incredibly effectively. You set a great example for those around you to improve, and demonstrated that sometimes you just have to learn on the fly. I’m very proud to see how far you’re coming along as a judge. Keep up the great work, and thanks for everything you do in our community to help everyone continue learning and improving. |
| Patrick Cobley | Matthew Karr | You were downright awesome with ODEs at SCG Cincy. Couldn’t possibly tell this was your first event. You crushed it! Players were happy and smiling and a father of one of the players in a draft you were running also sung your praises as “upbeat” and “great”. Thats the experience players should always have and you delivered it from day 1. |
| Patrick Cobley | Patrick Nelson | At the open in Cincinnati you blew me away. It was your first large event, first competitive event, and you came into it level headed and ready to go. With how you handled yourself, if I had not known any better I would have thought you were quite experienced. You knew when to seek help when you needed it, and stayed calm in the face of pressure, while running two good sized side events solo. Great job! I look forward to the next event we work together! |
| Patrick Cobley | Matt Sauers | Patrick, your exemplary performance at SCG Cinci was indistinguishable from that of a higher level judge with greater experience and skill. Your management of side events was as smooth and effective as any I have seen. I am glad to have you in my state and delighted to have someone of such masterful skill. |
| Patrick Cobley | David Elden | Patrick, there is no doubt that you are an exemplary judge. Never before have I heard so many positive comments about a judge’s attitude, ability to adapt and perform under pressure, and ability to make an event fun for players. Your skills in these areas are befitting of a judge with many times your experience. I’m excited to see how you’ll do in the future, and looking forward to telling people “I knew him when…” |
| Patrick Nelson | Nick Louzon | Pat, you are a steady presence in the Indiana Magic Judge community. I want to be like you! You’ve found a way to balance your real life with Magic in such a way that it seems you’re 100% Magic all the time. That’s cool. You always text me asking how my PPTQ attendances are and maintain a database of all that information. Your dedication is unrivaled in Indiana (obvs no offense to anyone else). |
| Patrick Nelson | Sam Robinson | Patrick is a font of knowledge about upcoming events, who is working them, why those people are working them and what other events need to be covered. While he is not our State Captain, I’m sure some of the work he is doing would fall to the SC if he were not doing it. He’s always willing to help take a burden off of someone else, or at least help find someone who can. He’s Indiana’s matchmaker, and deal broker. He’s our coordinator. The more amazing thing is he does all of this for us while working his full time job, helping out his local store to be more awesome most nights of the week, and working towards his L3. Sometimes I wonder when he sleeps! |
| Patrick Nelson | Matt Sauers | Patrick, you continue to demonstrate exemplary behavior in the management of reporting every one of our hundred PPTQs in Indiana in 2015, continuing into 2016. Your community organization work is exemplary for all! Thank you! Without your support all of us Hoosier judges would be repeating your labor. |
| Patrick Nelson | Rob McKenzie | Patrick does all the PPTQ tracking for Indiana (which has a not-insignificant amount of PPTQs), and during the recent SE suspensions he offered to expand his tracking and spreadsheet work to help out the SE region. He has also been a rock at events – at the oversized SCG Cincinnati he recently was notably excellent, and I’ve heard positive feedback about this event from a couple of sources. |
| Peyton Turner | Ben Sturtz | Peyton, it has been a privileged to work alongside you the past year or so. Being able to watch you prepare for you L2 exam, really helped me succeed in my own. Your ability to balance competitive judging with your educational obligations is an area that I have attempted to emulate. In addition your interest is the fringes of the comprehensive rules always makes for engaging conversation (sometimes for entire durations of travel). It is always a pleasure to work with you! |
| Randy Tice | Andrew Doyle | This nomination might actually be one of my favorite, namely because it doesn’t come from me, but from the players (and a few other judges) that directly interact with you. Randy, the one thing everyone already knows about you is your unbelievable charisma. What some might not know is that you take care to make sure that every person is heard in discussions, and that every argument is taken seriously. An easy example of this is the care and attention you provided to a recent DQ; to the player involved, the floor judge, and to the TO. That attention to detail and the service you provide to the players is what helps us achieve greater prospects as a whole.In addition, I also want to directly thank you for your words during the recent judge program turmoil over the holidays. It was certainly a time of great tension within the program, and you did your best over social media to diffuse that tension whenever possible. Thank you for having a calm head and a kind heart to help those of us out during that time. |
| Sam Robinson | Nick Louzon | Sam, I had the pleasure to witness you in action as a L2 a couple times the past year. In that role, you are succeeding in every way. From a player’s standpoint I noticed that you you were the star of the Judge staff at Standard SCG states in Lafayette. The professionalism and command you showed (even if you weren’t trying to ) was a calming presence for the whole event. |
| scott williamson | Minh Vu | Scott Williamson deserves this recognition for actions above the the call of duty to assist the players in eastern Cincinnati when the only store in the area closed. Working with a local miniatures store, he helping arrange for a time for Magic players to gather a few times a week to help preserve the community in the area. |
| Spencer Cole | Jess Dunks | When we worked together at SCG Columbus, your rulings were met with quite a few appeals. A lot of times, judges can get either down on emselves or super defensive when that happens. You kept a positive attitude, were able to correctly identify which of those appeals were things that you couldn’t avoid and which were things you needed to work on, and tried to learn from each situation. I want to see more judges with this positivity on staff at my events. Keep it up. |
| Thomas Frawley | Jake Maheu | Thanks for always being available when I needed guidance, from mentorship to present day. You’re wise beyond your level and have always been a great encouragement for me. |
| Thomas Fritz | Matt Sauers | Tommy can you hear me? Because you are kicking all the ass for me in Evansville due to my lack of any L2’s I can muster. You are capping the gap and filling the void for every PPTQ this season in my state! On behalf of every store in Evansville, thank you for your dedication above and beyond the needs of your own area!!! |
| TJ Clark | Gabriel Batista Vieira de Sousa | Thank you for being a friend during GP POA. During the event i experienced some harsh times and was felling really displaced as a magic judge. As strange as it may seems you, a tourist in our contry, was the person i met that i felt more connected during the event. Your presence there really helped to cheer me up. |
| William Beagle | Jake Maheu | Hey Bill, you did a great job on the floor at the Comic Relief PPTQ. You stayed confident and up-beat throughout the event and helped to ensure that the event ran smoothly. Good work keeping up with me on deck checks! 😛 |
| William Wingler | David Incorvati | I was impressed by how you ran the BFZ Team Sealed event at Empire. The format presents some unique challenges and I built my strategy for running the OGW Trios event off of yours. I remember a call you took in the Game Day side event involving some timing confusion between the players and your calm composure while resolving it. I’ve also enjoyed your contributions to policy discussions we’ve had while traveling with other judges. You play more Comp-REL Magic than I do, and I appreciate the player/judge balance you bring to those discussions. |
| Zach Schroeder | Thomas Fritz | I’ve had the please of helping you grow as an L1 over the 2015 year, and during the last PPTQ of the year you were on staff with me for the event. You did an amazing job for an L1 who learned so quickly from just having an interest in the program, to fully ready to floor staff a PPTQ. I have full confidence in your abilities at competitive, and look forward to working with you further in the future! |
| Zachary DeLadurantaye | John Temple | Zach goes above and beyond the role of an L1 acting as a coordinator for most of the stores in his area trying to promote and further Organized Play. Zach has overcome issues in his local area making changes to himself to be able to create the community he wishes to be a part of. As a judge, Zach is hungry for knowledge always asking how he could do better. I see a bright future for Zach and his major contributions to the judge program in Michigan! |
| Zachary DeLadurantaye | Arthur Edson | I have worked 2 events with this newly minted judge. He has acted like a true professional and worked harder than many of the judges that he was working with. His hunger for growth and for a well run event is a great example for all judges. |
| Zachary DeLadurantaye | Randy Tice | Zachary- the events we have worked together have shown me a couple things about you. 1.) You work extremely hard to maintain a level of professionalism, no matter the call. 2.) You are a very quick study. 3.) You have not made the same mistake twice. These are great qualities, and everyone should hope to achieve to these lofty goals. This is not what makes you exemplar- that is reserved for your attitude towards players, staff, and judges! You have the uncanny ability to make everyone have a great time, while still doing your job! I am very happy to have had you in my team and staff for events, and hope that I can have you on my events again! |
| Zachary DeLadurantaye | Meghan Baum | Zach you were an absolute all star at the 5k in Lansing. Even though the event had some… hiccups you kept positive and kept your focus on the event. You did a fantastic job and it deserves to be recognized. Along with that performance you have been working hard to grow your local community and just improve things in general around you. Great work buddy, keep it up. |
| Zachary DeLadurantaye | Steven Briggs | You had an awesome performance at the $5k in Detroit, helpful from before the event to well after it. Keep up the great work ethic! |
| Zachary DeLadurantaye | Michael Arrowsmith | Zack, your willingness to seek me out at a GP to put your face with your app for the event I was the HJ showed the initiative I love with newer judges. Once staffed, I was greatly impressed with your willingness to do whatever the event required, as well as a super positive attitude. You, my friend, are going to do very well as a judge, and I look forward to watching you come into your own. |
| Zachary DeLadurantaye | David Rappaport | I had occasion to sit with Zachary early in his Judge path. He spoke to me about his goals, reservations, and a humble timeline for advancement. We also discussed what the community in his area was like and how it has little support for a budding Judge. I challenged Zach to be more ambitious with his timeline for the good that he could bring to his community as a L2 or a legitimate candidate for L2. Zach has made a remarkable push lately. I know what is driving him… for his commitment to his community and his self sacrifice, I wanted to recognize his effort. |