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 Eastern Pennsylvania Area Rep Ilan Seid-Green.

Eric Smith is a Level 3 Judge from New York, New York. His recognitions this wave were for many aspects of his handling of a difficult event:

Eric, you’ve been a mentor for me since you certified me. I continue to look up to your experience, and the invaluable perspective that you bring (from your many years of contribution to the Magic community – players and judges alike – here in the Northeast). At SCG Philadelphia, I saw you display an incredible amount of integrity and dignity in the face of a very, very thorny situation. It’s no surprise that great judges continue to look up to you, and sign up for events when they know you’ll be running them. I hope to see you at many more, Eric. Thank you. – Mani Cavalieri

Eric, your handling of an unruly and unrelenting player during the SCG Open in Philly was truly admirable. Most Head Judges in your position would not have handled that situation with the level head and patience you demonstrated. Thank you for being a great example of how to handle stressful situations and players with grace. – Mike Noss

This recognition was for showing grace under fire as HJ at SCG Philadelphia. It is not easy when an individual goes to extreme lengths to undermine your authority and the method you used to remain neutral in your DQ decision and maintain the perceived integrity of the event was admirable. Thank you for this and sharing the discussion amongst the present L3s. – Raymond Fong

Here’s what Ilan Seid-Green had to say about these recommendations:

Day 6 is Eric Smith Day.

At SCG Philadelphia Eric had a long, stressful day as Head Judge. His ability to keep a cool head and remain patient under pressure did not go unnoticed, nor did the lengths he went to to remain neutral in dealing with complicated situations. While he was under the public eye for this specific event, Eric displays this ability to handle difficult situations with aplomb and dignity on a regular basis. He is well-regarded as a knowledgeable, professional figure with years of experience and contributions to the Magic community.