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 2024 Regional Advocate Election.
- Name: Dave Unni
- Location: Hamiton, New Jersey
- Election: Regional Advocates 2024
- Running For: Northeast RA
Nomination Statement
Hello, my name is Dave Unni! I am a Level 3 judge from central NJ and I have been involved with judging for over 13 years. I originally started out as a player and after observing Steven Zwanger, whom I met at the local PTQs, I became curious about what judging was about. I found a Regional Prerelease and had quite a bit of fun judging it! I used that as a spring board, studied for my L1, and passed, beginning my judging career! In the past year, I was laid off my day job and made the decision that I love judging enough to make it a full time career! I am fully committed to judging!
A friend recently asked me, why do I judge and what do I like about judging? At first, I thought, well it’s definitely the All You Can Eat Sushi dinners with friends obviously! But actually, judging means much more to me. I enjoy traveling, I love seeing the friends I’ve made from all over the world, finding the same players grinding out events to chase their dream, I love the sleepless nights of staying up with 3 other people in the hotel room till 2am discussing rules and policy. I enjoy watching judges I mentor grow. It’s as much a social event as it is a job. It’s not just about judging, it’s about sharing an experience with others.
I think that the current state of the judge program needs work. Specially, I am very concerned about the ability of people, looking to become a judge or L1s looking to advance, to find mentorship so they can achieve their goals. As the point person for the region, it will be my goal to locate individuals that can help grow the community and are able to mentor other so that other people can enjoy judging. I will also support them by providing mentorship and guidance so we can uplift the entire region.
My goal is help grow the community and the individuals in it so that we can reach our potentials’. I look forward to sharing the judging experience with you all!
At the end of your first six months as Regional Advocate, what does “success” look like?
As part of the first round of Regional Advocates, there is a large amount of work to be done within the first six months. I have four very important goals to accomplish within the first six months. First, I plan to solicitate passionate judges that care about their community and are willing to commit their time to help the people as an area communicator.
Second, the creation of a regional hub Discord for judges to gather, chat and receive/provide mentorship. This discord can also be used for regional conferences and as a way for stores to solicitate judges.
Third, is to reach out to all the Judge Foundry Members in the region to find out what their needs are. I am not omniscient, and therefore want to solicit feedback and concerns from my peers in the region.
Fourth, I would like to host an online gathering for the region. This may be in the form of a conference or might be just a casual fireside chat, but importantly it will be something to bring the region together.
What skills/experience do you bring to the role of Regional Advocate?
I have judged for many years and now do it as full-time work. I have been an Area Lead, Head Judge, Team Lead, and Floor judge in every team. I have also previously worked in a management role and espouse Servant Leadership. My focus will be on growing people that are looking to certify, Level 1, and Level 2 judge. I plan to create content and provide information that will help them grow to fulfill their goals.
Describe your plans to recruit and utilize Area Communicators.
Area Communicator should be individuals who are passionate about their state/local area/town/city, know the area well, can communicate with the local stores and know who the judges in the area are. They are my eyes and ears in their area and can help me make decisions about the best way to provide for the region and what, if any, recommendations to make to the Judge Foundry Board.
I plan to reach out to the region and have an open solicitation of people that are interested. I want people that share my vision of want to grow the region by helping support new and established judges. I want people that come to me and say, “I want to do this.” People that display passion are those that have the drive to continue support the region for months or years down the line.
As we grow, it is likely that some area may not have some like described above in that case I will reach out to judges in the area personally to ensure someone is there. As membership grows, I foresee the area sizes adapting.
Assume there is a level 3 in your region pursuing level 4, and they are looking for assistance. What do you see as your responsibility to help and how would you approach that?
I have spoken a lot about helping judge candidates, Level 1 and Level 2 judges grow, but I have not spoken much about Level 3 or higher. This is because most of the growth and advancement requirements to achieve higher levels means venturing out of the region and traveling significantly for judging.
However, that does not mean you are ignored, the most important thing I can do is allow myself to be available to answer questions and provide guidance from my own experiences. As the need to work at large events is a critical factor for the advancement to Level 4, I can provide references to many of the larger tournament organizers for those in my region that have earned them.
Most importantly, I will be an open resource to those looking to grow.
Why would someone in your region who judges at their LGS FNM want to be an L1 under Judge Foundry?
This is currently one of the biggest challenges for Judge Foundry across all regions. Right now, the discord community support and the rules and policy discussion are the main incentives provided by Judge Foundry. While these tools are helpful, I believe we can do more. Educational material is imperative to the growth of the region and Judge Foundry. I also expect conferences in future to promote growth. I will continue to advocate for my region and support it!