Editor’s Note: This article is part of our series of highlighted exemplar recognitions. See our introduction post for all the details, or view all the posts in this series. This article was written by Boston Area Rep Elliot Raff.

Mani Cavalieri is a Level 2 Judge from New York, New York. His recognitions came from Philip Painter, Nicola DiPasquale, Michael Arrowsmith, and Christopher Wendelboe, who had the following to say:

Mani, at GP Vegas on Friday, you were able to alternate from being in a position of supervision in the morning, to a team member very fluidly. In addition, you showed initiative by noticing a problem with the pairings boards and then verifying with me how it should be fixed. I really appreciate the humility you displayed, and the ability to go from leading to following seamlessly. In addition, when I had a task like foil prize support, you were an invaluable asset to the event. Thank you Mani. – Philip Painter

There were several points throughout the day at the recent SCG Invitational in NJ you brought to my attention as your team lead, which smoothed out our day despite hitting the ground running like we did. I have to say one of the most important was your management of the time extensions, which I never asked you to do. Round after round you managed those and coordinated with me to send judges to outstanding tables with time extensions, which really helped us manage turn around time during the event. – Nicola DiPasquale

Hi Mani! Sometimes it is the smallest things that have the greatest impression on me. Sometimes people say or do something that they believe to be the correct thing to say or do at that time. (“You did the… Thanks!”, “Good job today”, “thanks for the hard work”, etc) it is unfortunate, but it does not always come across as sincere. When you randomly came up to me to thank me for the hard your at INV Somerset, either you were sincere, or are really good at faking it ;-). That tiny interaction made a rough weekend into a happy experience for me. Thank you for your caring. – Michael Arrowsmith

Thank you for your help during one of my tougher judge calls during the Super Sunday Series at GP Providence. Not only were you able to step in to help without making me look bad when I wasn’t sure how to figure something out correctly, you knew exactly how to reconstruct what had happened, asked the right questions, and made sure that the proper answer was given from us. This then led us to having a great conversation after and me learning a valuable lesson. – Christopher Wendelboe

Here’s what Elliot Raff had to say about this recommendation:

Hear ye, hear ye! On this most glorious day, I doth have the honour of recognizing Sir Mani “Name God” Cavalieri, L2 from New York City!

Mani was recognized in this wave for his excellent displays of initiative, both in performing tasks at events and for generally making others feel welcomed and valued. He has an enormous energy and drive that is infectious, and uses his presence to enhance the experiences of players and judges alike. It’s hard to imagine anyone who approaches judging (and hell, life) with as much zeal and passion as Mani. He is someone I am constantly excited to see at events, both for his attitude and the quality of his work. As demonstrated by those who chose to recognize him this past wave, he has an unparalleled ability to bring fun to everyone while making sure that the event has what it needs to succeed. As a matter of fact, when I was reviewing staffing decisions for Grand Prix Providence last year, my comment on Mani’s application simply said “If we decline Mani, I will quit.” Thank you, Mani, for your excellent work and your continued dedication to the region!