Note: This is a candidate page for a Judge Foundry Election. Information on this page is provided by the candidate, and does not represent the opinions or positions of the Elections Committee or of Judge Foundry. For more information about this election, see the schedule and index for the Elections at the 2025 Annual Meeting.
- Name: Cardan Wood
- Location: Gatineau, Quebec
- Election: 2025 Annual Meeting
- Running For: Regional Advocate of Eastern Provinces
Nomination Statement
My name is Cardan and I am a Level 2 judge from Gatineau, QC. I am currently the Area Communicator for the Ottawa/Gatineau area, and I have been judging for about 3 years now (if you include my 6-ish months of being a Rules Advisor through Judge Academy…) I was first certified in January of 2023, and got my Level 2 in May 2025. I have been to many Face to Face Tour Weekends and Stops, and I have also gone to some events down in the US (CubeCon 2024, RC Washington DC 2024, GenCon 2023). So if you’ve been to an event in Canada, you’ve probably seen me around. I decided to apply for Regional Advocate for a few reasons, some of which being my love for judging, communication skills, and my passion for solving complex issues (which is fun to me, I love a good challenge). Becoming a judge was probably one of the only good things that 19-year-old me did, and I am grateful to be a part of this community. I hope that if I am voted in as Regional Advocate that I can continue to help our community flourish and succeed.
Q1: Judge Program Direction
Question: This year, many members are uncertain about our future due to Wizards of the Coast’s announcement of a new Judge Program Manager role. How will you support your region through this uncertainty and potential transition?
I believe that the new Judge Program Manager role is a good thing for the judge program, and while things may be uncertain, I hope that with clear communication, expectations, and support that the uncertainty and possible transitions will not be as stressful. From my understanding, the new role is to help us as judges, and not hinder, so I hope that with clear pathways of communication that questions or concerns will have answers with time and I want to aid this process to help our community thrive in less-certain times. Having access to many of our judging-related communication sites will aid in ensuring that those who wish to be informed will be.
Q2: Local Judges and Judging
Question: As a Regional Advocate, how will you support local judges and encourage local judging in your region?
As an area communicator for the Ottawa/Gatineau area, I have participated in a few initiatives to spur judging on the East Coast. I plan to continue supporting and participating in events/conferences in hopes that our numbers will grow, and our communities will continue to have support for local shops/events. I love clear communication, and I do believe that will be one of my strongest skills when it comes to assisting our local communities with judges and soon-to-be judges. Talking with players, judges, and store staff is something I try to do frequently to assess the needs of the Eastern communities, and finding those who may be interested in joining Judge Foundry.
Q3: Programs and Projects
Question: How do you plan to use Conferences and other major projects like Exemplar or this year’s Review Competition to support and grow your region?
I want to have more conferences this year. I know that literally everyone says that but it’s the truth. I believe that they are a fantastic way to grow our knowledge pools and resources, because talking is one of the best ways for us to learn something new. Advertising conferences and the new Exemplar program are a great way to get people involved and excited in judging, as well as showcasing our experienced, hardworking, or even just really cool people who over the past few years I have met and learned so much from. Getting our community together both in-person and online is a fantastic way for us to support each other over so much distance (5,514km if you want to get from the Yukon/Alaska border to Cape Spear, Newfoundland and Labrador. Yes, I know this is for the East, but I am NOT doing that math).