Exemplar 2 - USA - Northeast - Northeast USA Judge Family

To Aaron Murray Recognized by David Greene	Aaron, thank you for answering commenter questions on Judge’s Corner videos. It’s gotten to the point where I can rest assured whenever I see your name in the reply that their inquiry is resolved. I don’t get notifications when someone replies, and finding the time to dredge through the growing playlist is rare. Sixty words do not do you justice.
To Adam Bruce Recognized by Rich Waldbiesser	Recognized for giving up a chance to play in PPTQ in order to help judge event when size forced event to be split into two rooms.
To Adam Eidelsafy Recognized by David Rappaport	Adam has been a figure of support in our community pretty much since the day he Certified at Level 1. We have come to rely on his drive and erudite advice. Most recently, on his own initiative, Adam coordinated a Mini-Conference in Lansing Michigan for our Judges. Adam thank you for demonstrating that “readiness” does not necessarily mean that you have to wait until failure is impossible. “Readiness” is more a measure of capacity to adapt and overcome challenges before you. When I first met you I could never have imagined you could teach me how to be bold… you have. You are an inspiration, keep growing and keep striving.
To Adam Eidelsafy Recognized by Lexie Mettler	“Adam, Over the past year I have had the chance to judge several times with you. I have seen you grow and do amazing things at all of these events. You have done a great job being the role model and mentor for a lot of great judges, including myself. Keep up the great work!”
To AJ Kerrigan Recognized by Riki Hayashi	You’ve been around the community for a long time as a player, and at the SCG Baltimore Open in February, I got to see you work as a judge. You were an integral part of Mike Noss’s EoR system, working in the second room, and you showed outstanding work ethic all weekend, up to and including volunteering to stay late for the Legacy PIQ T4. You made a lot of positive impressions, especially for a newer judge, and yes I’ll say it, especially for your age. (Nomination entered upon consultation with PIQ HJ John Brian McCarthy.)
To Albert Pultz Recognized by Olivier Jansen	I’d like to publicly recognize your excellent diplomacy with regards to the facebook + Alesha incident. You handled it in a stellar manner.
To Alex Mullins Recognized by Abraham Corson	“Alex, I can’t thank you enough for hard work on and continued contributions to the Missed Trigger Guides project. Abe”
To Alex Mullins Recognized by Shawn Doherty	“Alex, I wanted you recognize you for putting together a document for judges to give to PPTQ winners. It was interesting to watch your progression on this from the initial problem. You had to deal with a winner playing in your PPTQ who was unaware he couldn’t compete. First, you solved the problem at your event. Then you took the time to warn other judges, so they would avoid similar situations. Then you put a document for winners and shared it with FB friends, then the regional FB group, then the whole judge forum. At each step, I saw how you were helping more and more people. Thanks for your dedication to this issue and all your other hard work in the program.”
To Alex Stratton Recognized by Daniel Jackson	Alex you have done good work and moved to the L2 level quite quickly. I just want to recognize your commitment to your events. When you crashed the car on the way to the Johnson City PTQ, after we established that everyone was alright your concern became to the event. You did everything you could to get me there on time, and you showed up yourself only 1 round later. Despite the car being hurt you handled things well and still did a great job on the floor that day.
To Amanda Stevens Recognized by Darcy Alemany	It is not easy establishing one’s self as an advocate for underrepresented members of the Magic community. It’s even harder to do so while balancing one’s responsibilities and expectations as a judge, yet you manage to consistently do so. As I am one of these underrepresented members, your work has directly impacted the openness and safety of the Magic events I attend. Thank you.
To Amanda Stevens Recognized by Gregory De Bonis	Amanda’s concern with safe spaces and making sure that all kinds of people could feel welcome at events inspired me to start discussing those things in my region, where things were pretty bad but slowly becoming better. Thanks for your talk at that snowy judge conference, Amanda! And keep doing a great work!
To Anthony Hullings Recognized by Thomas Davis	“Krug” is always a breath of fresh air at any tournament he is at. He has a consistent positive attitude that is evident by his demeanor and performance at events. When I see his name on a judge staff, I know that he will make sure his fellow judges have a good time. Green Lantern’s Light! 🙂
To Anthony Hullings Recognized by Christopher Rumore	Thank you, Krug, for showing your judging expertise at one of Empire’s final SCIQs, when you were able to defuse a difficult situation between two arguing players. What could have led into two DQs was handled so carefully and communicated so perfectly that both players were able to calm down to a reasonable level.
To Anthony Hullings Recognized by Eric Levine	“Some judges would be frustrated at having to head judge small side events at a GP. Some judges run those events with no complaint and do a good job. Anthony (or Krug, as many know him) makes his events and events around it more exciting for nearby judges and players alike. Judges are proud to know him and players who meet him feel like they have a new friend immediately. Anthony has much to teach all of us :)”
To Anthony Hullings Recognized by Paul Baranay	Krug, your enthusiasm and energy at events are contagious. I really admire that you’ve realized one of your specific areas for improvement (asking for help too quickly, rather than understanding the problem first) and have been very upfront about sharing this with others. Keep hustling!
To Anthony Hullings Recognized by Nicholas Sabin	Krug, I love working events with you. Your energy and enthusiasm for judging is tireless, and sets an example that I wish all judges would follow. I’ll gladly have you at any event I’m judging, at any time. Keep up the great work!
To Benjamin Coursey Recognized by Christopher Wendelboe	You have shown yourself to be a great asset to the New Hampshire community. Not only do you organize some of the best events in the state but you have been reaching out to help out other stores run and organize great events and have been making sure that local judges get the experience to help them grow.
To Benjamin Coursey Recognized by Alex Mullins	For being a solid L1 in the state, striving to improve. And as a TO helping to get a variety of judges in the state experience.
To Bradley St. Pierre Recognized by Christopher Cahill	You did an excellent job of leading a group of newer judges at the triple PPTQ day! Your communication and guidance helped to bolster their confidence and made the events run smoother as a result.
To Brian Coval Recognized by Chris Stagno	Thank you for doing all you do with helping to organize our region. I feel you have been the driving force behind helping make sure PPTQ’s are staffed, and jumping on helping out with tournaments that might otherwise go un-judged. Your professionalism both at tournaments and in official forums is top notch, and does not go unnoticed.
To Brian Rapp Recognized by Matt Newnam	When I was working PM Sides (Saturday) at GP Memphis this past weekend, we got pretty bombed with players as the day went on. You were handling prize payout and reporting results, and as it picked up, you kept your cool and even made sure that other events kept firing, while working with all the judges and Brett to make sure everything went well. Good job!
To Brian Thomas Recognized by CJ Crooks	I am extremely impressed by your commitment to making yourself a better judge. You approached me weeks after an event because you were still thinking of how the event could have ran better. That is a great perspective to have and I look forward to future events you run as you accumulate more best practices.
To Bryan Hare Recognized by Nathaniel Lawrence	Your efforts at “throwing” every L3 and TO you could find at me to help me stay motivated to hit L2 were a big help to me; I probably would have given up without those extra pushes!
To Bryan Hare Recognized by Casey Brefka	I know that your work has gotten really busy lately, but you’ve still taken the time to do good work as the area representative for Boston along with Elliot. As a result our area always feels organized and under control, and that’s a result of a lot of your hard work. Thanks!
To Chas Hinkle Recognized by Nicola DiPasquale	You are the cornerstone for judging at AU. I know you prefer playing, but Ray was right you have so many L2 qualities. The suggestion you made to the floor judge at the PPTQ while I was otherwise occupied, really helped to make the event flow (to the point that no one noticed the slight delay).
To Chase Culpon Recognized by Samuel Nathanson	“Chase, You did a great job bringing together the judges in the NYC/LI area. The event was well attended and I think everyone had a great time. Thanks for bringing this together! -Sam”
To Chris Stagno Recognized by Brian Coval	For stepping up to support the local stores in the first wave of PPTQs. As well as the continued education and certification of L1 candidates near and far.
To Christopher Wendelboe Recognized by Alex Mullins	For being a solid judge, working to improve the NH judging community, and helping coordinate PPTQ staffing for the state.
To Craig Stambaugh Recognized by Nicola DiPasquale	I realize we recognized you for your impressive work at the WMCQ, but even after that you continued that same impressive streak. Your name comes up often as a stellar L2, keep it up. Your dedication and attitude brightens those around you.
To Craig Stambaugh Recognized by John Brian McCarthy	CJ has been an inspiration to me since I met him at PAX East last year. His willingness to mentor “younger” judges, calm under pressure, and focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle while judging are qualities that we can all aspire to.
To Craig Stambaugh Recognized by James Kerr	CJ, you have great energy every time that I have been at an event with you. Your willingness to step in and take care of issues simply because you are around them is a trait that makes you an invaluable asset to any staff.
To Dan Collins Recognized by Paul Baranay	Dan, your growth in the program has been truly impressive. I’m excited to see you loosening up more, but you nonetheless have a unique perspective and style that works for you, which is great. You are a reliable asset for any event, big or small.
To Daniel Jackson Recognized by Casey Sutliff	For sharing information and educating fellow judges, specifically at the Johnson city PTQ with difficult rulings (but many other times as well). Thank you!
To Daniel Villamizar Recognized by Jason Riendeau	Thank you for staying until the end of the day on Sunday helping to pack up at GP: Memphis. There was a lot of stuff to pack up; you staying to help past the end of your shift got everyone out half an hour earlier.
To David Clawson Recognized by Brian Coval	For your continued pursuit of knowledge and desire to provide the best for the community you serve, despite limited chances to exercise your many skills.
To David Haass Recognized by Matthew Foster	Fantastic work at the PPTQ this past weekend. You really stepped up and had the event ready to fire while I was running behind due to the weather. You showed great leadership and the praise we received at the end of the event goes largely thanks to your efforts.
To David Haass Recognized by John Shannon	You reached out to me on multiple occasions to help with events. By your work and words, it’s obvious you care about your events and want the best experience for your players. Keep up the great work!
To David Scopac Recognized by Elliot Raff	Dave, your work in the Boston area getting candidates interested in the program and working hard to help lesser known stores, is, for lack of a better word, exemplary. It is not easy to work in Boston, and you’ve done a great job.
To Dylan Rippe Recognized by William Carrig	I worked with Dylan at a PTQ in Buffalo. I was acting as scorekeeper for this event. Before round 6, the printer ran out of ink and we didn’t have a replacement handy. Dylan remained calm and figured out a work around so that we could still get the round paired and slips printed.
To Eli Meyer Recognized by Yonatan Kamensky	Eli, your dedication to supporting your local community is outstanding. Time and time again, I’ve seen you go far beyond the basic expectations of your role. Despite difficult relations with a store owner, you helped create a space for a wonderful playgroup to form. Your mentorship was invaluable in training and certifying a judge candidate from that very group. Thank you so much for making the Boston Magic community a better place!
To Eli Shiffrin Recognized by Jeremy Smith	Eli, though itâ€™s been a little while since weâ€™ve worked an event together, you have been a fantastic judge mentor over the years. Thank you especially for being able to answer just about any judge question Iâ€™ve had on a momentâ€™s notice, be it rules, tournament, philosophy or otherwise!
To Eric Shukan Recognized by Joel Bantiles	Having been part of your team for the past couple of years, I know that what you do is not easy. I want to recognize your efforts month after month making sure the IC delivers what it needs to. It might seem a thankless job to some but I think all the members would agree that without you leading and prodding us every month there would be a lot of unresolved things going around. Thank you Eric and keep up the good work
To Eric Shukan Recognized by Fabian Peck	Thank you for your efforts in working on education on investigations, in particular your recent article series. Investigations education/material one of the most underdeveloped areas of the program and your articles provided a really strong, implementable methodology for people to work on. It helped me give some more structure to a lot of the points I’ve learned about investigations.
To Eric Shukan Recognized by David Hibbs	Eric, you lead the work on a series of articles on investigations that was unlike any other series to date. It was insightful, well-written, widely understandable, and valuable. I can only hope anything I write has a fraction of the value of this series. Thanks for taking the time to make this series happen!
To Eric Shukan Recognized by Evan Cherry	For above-and-beyond guidance in leading Investigations, including thoughtful discussions in the forums, fantastic articles, and being personally available for questions.
To Eric Shukan Recognized by Sean Catanese	Eric, Your approach to investigations continues to influence me and many others not only when we find ourselves in a sketchy situation on the event floor, but also when we need to employ our investigative skills in other services to the broader program. “What would Eric do here?” is never the wrong question to as oneself.
To Erik Mulvaney Recognized by Erik Halverson	When I was a young L1 working a large event, Erik M. made a large impact and helped me navigate a busy day. He made the event very positive for me, where I could learn and grow much more than otherwise possible.
To Ethan Do Recognized by Mike Noss	Ethan, you’ve stepped up in noticeably large ways to fill the void of Jay stepping down and running the Philly drafts at Redcap’s. You’ve been doing a great job and are really growing into a strong leader, keep it up!
To Gilbert Medeiros Recognized by Michael Arrowsmith	Gilbert is shining example of how to mentor effectively. Every time I have had him on staff, he has either been tasked with mentoring younger judges due to his history of doing do, or just does it naturally. I wish I had more judges showing a love for growth in the program as Gilbert.
To Ian Taylor Recognized by Gilbert Medeiros	Ian, you have been a mentor to me for awhile now, at countless events I have learned a lot of the soft skills from you that only come from the years you have contributed to the program. As a judge you are comfortable in any roll and allow less experienced judges to learn and lead and take a back seat many times to allow others to shine.
To Ilan Seid-Green Recognized by Nicola DiPasquale	You impress me at every turn, with your willingness to help out in every capacity. Taking over the statewide spreadsheet of PPTQs and stepping up when Caffrey stepped down, being area rep is a big responsibility and I cannot think of someone better suited for the job. Congratulations.
To Ilan Seid-Green Recognized by Shawn Doherty	“Ilan, I wanted to recognize you for your interests in making the judge community a better place to inhabit. I appreciate your desire to get people to think about the words that they use, so we have a more inclusive community. I also appreciate your willingness to talk to other judges about problems that they may be having. These traits (and others) made it easy for me to put you in the Area Rep role when it became available. Keep up the good work.”
To Ilan Seid-Green Recognized by Mike Noss	Ilan, you’ve been incredibly active with mentoring and certifying new judges. Additionally, you’ve stepped up to fill the position of Eastern PA area captain and have been vigilant in making sure PPTQS have L2+ HJs. Lastly, your assistance with Ethan in taking over the Philly drafts have made the transition of Jay’s departure fluid and smooth. Thank you!
To Ilan Seid-Green Recognized by John Byrne	Ilan, you are always working in the are to improve events and help your local judges. This comes in the form of mentoring, helping resolve issues, and helping to see that events are staffed. You go as far as to contacting likely candidates for staffing personally when you know it may prevent an event from starting otherwise. Redcap’s PPTQ would not be able to happen if you did not make this effort. This helps out judges and players alike. I appreciate the work you do, and the help you give to the community.
To James Eveland Recognized by Ilan Seid-Green	Thank you for stepping up at the StarCityGames New Jersey States. I really appreciate you being willing to judge when we had far more players than expected, despite being there to play and being entirely unprepared to judge. Your input was also exceedingly helpful for running a smooth event despite it being by far the largest number of players I had ever Head Judged, and more players than the store was prepared to host.
To Jesse Polo Recognized by Joe Hughto	I’ve taught a few judge classes and you were the first one to demonstrate your commitment to this as fully as you did. You were willing to drive over an hour each way to attend. No one else in any of the classes travelled nearly that far. I knew then that you’d be a great judge and I can’t wait to see you keep proving me right.
To Jesse Polo Recognized by Ben Eldridge	Back in December you attended a judge conference 3 hours from where you live. You did this knowing you had missed the cutoff date to apply for foils purely to educate yourself and become a better judge. A lot of new judges could learn from this exemplary example.
To Joe Hughto Recognized by George FitzGerald	“Joe, While our time together was brief, being my buddy at GP Jersey on Saturday was tremendous. I thought we worked well together, shared a similar vision, and I felt like I could talk frankly with you and you’d have an open mind. When we worked on an investigation, your words of wisdom and talking the situation through with me really helped me to quell my anxiety and get through the investigation without any major incident. Additionally, your recent work on Knowledge Pool has been above and beyond and you have done far more work there than is expected of you and it has been noticed. I really hope we get to work together again soon. I feel we can both learn a lot from each other and have a great time doing it, Florida Judge style. Keep on being you. -Geo”
To Joe Hughto Recognized by Christopher Cahill	Joe, the number of useful web forms you have created to help the Northeast judges is impressive! Between the PPTQ planning form, the Exemplar coordination form, all the way back to the L1 Welcome Wagon, your ability to generate useful tools for the Northeast judges has been greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work!
To Joe Hughto Recognized by Benjamin McDole	You’ve taken over and grown a once abandoned (and yet very important) project. You’ve driven it to results and essentially single handedly fixed the problems that were plaguing it. I’m still cautiously optimistic, but feel like progress is finally being made in an important education area. Kudos, and I look forward to seeing where you can take things next!
To Joe Hughto Recognized by Paul Baranay	Thank you for continuing to step up and lead the Northeast community by coordinating PPTQ’s, the Welcome Wagon, and other initiatives 🙂
To Joe Hughto Recognized by Abraham Corson	“Joe, Thanks for your help with the Missed Trigger Guides project, and especially for taking point on the most recent set’s guide. Abe”
To Joe Hughto Recognized by Kush Singhal	Joe, you’re going above and beyond in taking the initiative with the Welcome Wagon, Exemplar Wave, and PPTQ planning. These resources are great for the community; thank you for coordinating them!
To Joe Hughto Recognized by Shawn Doherty	“Joe, You have continued to help organize the region through your efforts. Through the use of webforms and other data collection means, you have helped the judges of the region work more efficiently and effectively. From work on the L2 verification to PPTQ staffing, your work has allowed those major program changes to go more smoothly. In addition, your continued work with the Welcome Wagon has helped new judges in the region get the information they need to hit teh ground running.”
To John Alderfer Recognized by Eric Levine	Without John’s slavish devotion to the GP kit, setup and packout at US GPs would take much longer. John arrives early, stays late, and doesn’t complain about the fact that people basically expect this of him when it’s really quite grueling. John is also working to help transfer his expertise to others, which is obviously important. John was particularly helpful at GP Denver at the end of the night, both in packing up and helping me stay sane during a process I’m much less familiar with than he is. Thanks John.
To John Alderfer Recognized by Sonia L’hopital	“As the head judge of my tournamrnt at GP New Jersey you really impressed me, and significantly improved my day. You were available and very understanding when I come to see you to ask you for a break after the difficult situation with my team leader. You made sure I took a good rest and checked with me after I came back how I was. You handled the appeal with the handicapped player very well, making sure both the player and I were comfortable in this delicate situation.”
To John Alderfer Recognized by Emilio Franceschini	John, while we did only work for a brief period of time at GP San Jose, I got to see a model of judge I one day aspire to be and I have you to thank for that. The way you express yourself to others is unparelled, your orders are crystal clear all the time and for your subordinates that makes everything easier.
To John Alderfer Recognized by Nicholas Sabin	John, your work ethic knocks me down. I know you get praise heaped on you for being the program’s logistical mastermind, and that’s well-deserved, but I don’t think people understand just how hard you work at events. You’ve been doing this for a long time, and still you set the standard for diligence at events.
To John Jackson Recognized by Brogan King	John – You really showed me how excellent you are at my PPTQ. You held things together and were full of energy. I think it’s fantastic that you’re striving to reach L2 now. There are a ton of us here to support you if you need us. Keep striving. =)
To John Shannon Recognized by Shawn Doherty	“John, Although I don’t get to see you in person as often as I would like, I have been able to see the effects of your efforts in the region. You have been a valuable mentor to the judges in the eastern NY area. These efforts have produced a strong group of new L2. You also were essential in helping the local L2s complete their verification process. I look forward to seeing you at an event in the future, but until then, I’ll continue to see the impact of your mentoring efforts. “
To John Weldin Recognized by Rich Bourque	With determination and grit, John has taken the reins to develop relationships with players and multiple stores with the goal of reaching L2. He volunteers at events he is not scheduled to work so that there is a better overall tournament experience. He promotes events and engages players and inspires fellow judges with his dedication. Having seen him judge and/or play at several events, he is a model of sportsmanship and a pillar of the community.
To Jonah Kellman Recognized by Eric Levine	Jonah took what he learned from judge classes and has already started using it to teach other candidates and L1s new things. He’s articulate, excited, and effective, and I see him taking time to mentor and encourage candidates constantly. I’d expect this of an L2, but a new L1? Kudos, Jonah.
To Jonah Kellman Recognized by Paul Baranay	Jonah, thank you for fearlessly giving me feedback from SCG Regionals in Oaks. I really appreciated your insight into my use of the Socratic method, and whether that makes sense to employ in the middle of a ruling. You also did a fantastic job of running end-of-round and keeping me on track as well. I hope to work with you at other large events soon!
To Jonathan Orr Recognized by Brant Abeln	Your enthusiasm for helping players is unmatched in our community. You are always willing to take time to answer questions or discuss a rules interaction with players until you’re confident that they completely understand the situation.
To Joris Dyckman Recognized by John Shannon	I really appreciate that you always share your rulings and experiences from the events you judge, and that you bring that experience back to our local store. You make our local community better and raise us all up as players and judges!
To Joseph Steet Recognized by Shawn Doherty	“Joe, I wanted to recognize you for your efforts in growing the judge community in the Buffalo area. In the last 6 months (or so), you have certified 6 new Level 1 judges in the area and helped train many more. Your desire to teach others has helped the people you worked with become better judges, which has helped the communicate overall. I’m also grateful that you help has extended beyond the Buffalo area, especially your efforts to co-coordinate the last regional judge conference. You didn’t have much experience in that role, but you jumped in with both feet. Thanks for all the hard work.”
To joseph tibbetts Recognized by William Anderson	Your willingness to take the time to review video footage with a critical eye was a service to our community. I think a desire to set aside outside-event time to helping the judge community as well as a sharp eye are qualities that we admire in judges.
To Justin Purcell Recognized by Matthew Johnson	Justin, I’m recognising you for the review you wrote of me at SCG Worcester. As well as being a good review, it’s the first one I’ve received from a large event. Although reviews are something we expect and encourage they are not as frequent as we’d like. It’s great to see someone who even as an L1 is writing reviews
To Kate Skelly Recognized by David Truitt	I was fortune enough to work with Kelly on a judge project to provide judge classes. The whole time, Kate was on top of the project and when simple things needed to be done, she would always go a step further and beyond.
To Lanae Glover Recognized by Chris Stagno	Thank you for being a the most outstanding L1 I have certified in years. Your attentiveness, willing to step outside of your comfort zone and eagerness to jump head first into the program stood out to me and I was extremely excited to be the one to welcome you to the program. I hope that you continue to fuel your passion and make some real contributions to the judge program.
To Mani Cavalieri Recognized by Ilan Seid-Green	At SCG Regionals in “Philadelphia,” which I believe you said was your first large event, I assigned you to run side events. When the event rolled to a close I realized they had all been run smoothly and you had only come up me for advice once or twice. I was very impressed, especially given the weird situation we had with them being on both sides of the room. You were also cheerful the whole day, including at dinner after, and really helped me keep my mood up. Keep it up.
To Mani Cavalieri Recognized by Eric Smith	Exceptional work at multiple events
To Mani Cavalieri Recognized by Dan Collins	Mani, We’ve only met twice (and only once at an event we were both actually judging!), but I was impressed with your understanding of tournament operations, your ability to take initiative, and your answers to some policy-related questions at SCG Regionals in Philly. Although it’s difficult to articulate why, my general impression of you is that you’re ready to be an Area Judge in all the ways that matter. The best candidates for future advancement are those who are already fulfilling the duties and demonstrating the attitude, diplomacy, and communication skills of the next level, and despite a short event history, you fit this description. I’m confident that you’ll have no problem with your L2 once you’re ready to take it.
To Mani Cavalieri Recognized by Chase Culpon	Mani’s positive attitude and work ethic is an inspiration. Every event that I’ve seen Mani work he’s brought a positive energy, and he works hard and keeps it up consistently through the event. His demeanor with players takes their questions seriously, while lowering tension and reminding players that everyone is there to have a good time.
To Mary Kate DiTursi Recognized by Charlotte Sable	“Mary Kate, Your decision to step back from being an area judge took a lot of self-reflection. No matter how much we love judging, life needs to come first. I know how hard it is to find a healthy balance between judging and “”real life””, and I find your courage and commitment in this area to be exemplary. “
To Megan Linscott Recognized by Michael Arrowsmith	“Megan, you continue to impress me at each and every event I work with you. Your willingness to do whatever is needed of the event, your level of customer service, and your interactions with other judges on staff makes the event run smoother. I am happy your are starting your progression to L2, as I know you will make it, and you will continue to be a perfect example of how to be a stellar judge. Michael Arrowsmith”
To Michael Bauman Recognized by William Carrig	Mike worked with me at a PPTQ in Rochester. I believe he is exemplary because during the event he was able to communicate the rules about priority to a player who is deaf. Mike knows some sign language and I was impressed with his abilities. He is a true asset to the judge program.
To Michael Caffrey Recognized by Nicola DiPasquale	You are continually creating great opportunities for judges. The judge conference that was organized at your shop was a great opportunity despite the lack of attendance. It is a really good thing to see an environment where players, judges, and the TO can all harmonize like in your shop at your events.
To Michael Cox Recognized by Alex Stratton	“Michael, while I was a team lead for the first time at the Kirwan’s PTQ, I was nervous about how I would do, as well as how to work with the members of my team. Throughout the day you always made sure to talk to me about what was happening on the floor, as well as took over when I needed to step off the floor for a few brief moments. Having you on my team for this event made me feel as though I had a safety net, and gave me the confidence I needed to help run an amazing event. I feel as though all judges, regardless of level, could learn a lot from watching you. Stay with the program, and I will see you as an L2 soon. Alex “
To Michael Mapson Recognized by Alex Bastecki	You came in at the relatively last moment to get one of my local store, The Adventurer’s Guild, to solve a last minute mix-up for an IQ. Though you were completely unknown to the store owner and employee prior, they came to me afterwards and gave their highest complements after watching you take control of the event and meet the high standards I’ve set in place. Great job!
To Nathaniel Jordan Recognized by Bryan Hare	This recognition is for cooly dealing with an extraordinary situation. Its expected but rarely ever tested and you did wonderful. Its good to know you will be a great resource for your store in any other emergency situations.
To Paul Baranay Recognized by Sean Catanese	You’ve let me know directly but respectfully when I’ve made mistakes, and I appreciate both aspects of that. Your trust in me to get it right the next time is something I’m continually working on living up to.
To Paul Baranay Recognized by Jason Lemahieu	“BEARZ! Fantastic work with both your new Bearz Repeating blog, as well as your consistent work in the mtgjudge subreddit. I’m impressed with your ability to stick to your predetermined schedule, and your ability to deliver both new content and new firestarters for discussion each week. Keep up the great work! (Seriously – This is about your keeping-it-up-ness, so I hope you keep it up!) – Lems :)”
To Paul Baranay Recognized by Eric Smith	For always showing enthusiasm and energy in organizing judge events in the North East.
To Paul Baranay Recognized by Shawn Doherty	Bearz! You have always been someone that has kept me on my toes. I can count on you to call me out (privately) when I don’t get things done in a timely manner. You have also been willing to step up in leadership roles when I have asked. Your efforts with regional conferences has helped provide great conferences for the region, but also helped the other organizers learn and grow. Hope to have you in the region for a long time. 🙂
To Paul Baranay Recognized by Vincent Roscioli	Bearz, you always have an interesting insight about how we can be more effective in the many roles we play as judges, even when it’s something others wouldn’t give a second thought to. I also think it is excellent that you’ve taken the time through your blog and judge conferences to share important ideas with a wide audience.
To Paul Baranay Recognized by Joshua Staples	GP New Jersey was a rough event for me and I was upfront with you about that. You added the task of making sure I was surviving to your team leading schedule and it really made the event easier for me. Thanks Bearz.
To Paul Baranay Recognized by Benjamin Klein	Paul, this winter while I have not gotten out of Vermont thus far to judge I have felt connected to and learned from events that you have been at through your blog, “Bearz Repeating” and I have seen that other judges in the Northeast are also are reading your words and learning from your shared insights. I consider this the most exemplary behavior I have seen thus far in 2015 and I wanted to tell you to keep up the good work!
To Pi Fisher Recognized by Gilbert Medeiros	Pi has been a hard working judge since his first event. He volunteered for an entire weekend when I could not hire a third judge just for experience. His efforts since then have been even greater, he provides a great experience for everyone he has contact with and always seeks out ways to grow as a judge.
To Rich Marin Recognized by Chris Vlastelica	Rich is as dedicated an L1 as I’ve seen. He’s actively pursuing each and every event he can to judge at and shows no partiality toward his wife (who typically plays in the events he judges at). Rich has a great, humble attitude, thinks all rulings through and delivers well spoken explanations to players. Great work!
To Rich Waldbiesser Recognized by Alex Bastecki	You were integral in helping out a good part of the area sort out Head Judges for the first wave of PPTQs, including doing many yourself. It took a very big load off of myself in something I expected at the start of the season to go into alone.
To Rick Salamin Recognized by John Alderfer	“Rick, So, I do a lot of GPs – that means I have a lot of forum posts that I get to see, and pretty much every event, there you are coordinating Photos. You contribute to more GPs than I do – that’s awesome! This, of course, is not even mentioning the events where you are physically present, where you consistently perform above and beyond. The program benefits from your contribution to GPs – whether you’re there or not. Thank you!”
To Rick Salamin Recognized by Shawn Doherty	“Rick, Thank you for all your hard work helping the logistics of events. No matter if you are on the floor or on the stage, you have a knack for seeing what needs to get done and making sure that things don’t slip through the cracks. Your efforts not only make the event run smoother. They also make the judges you are working with have a better event. “
To Rick Salamin Recognized by Scott Marshall	“Rick, you’ve been leading the efforts re: Judge Photography for quite a while now, and you always do such a great job with the people who volunteer to handle the on-site tasks. I just saw the message re: GP Miami, and it reminded me of what I think is Exemplary about your efforts: you are really showing others how to effectively lead a project, give direction without seeming demanding, maintaining the fun while being clear with objectives and requirements. I am taking this opportunity to recognize (and thank) you for setting such a great example on how to lead.”
To Rob Castellon Recognized by Eric Levine	I’m quite glad Rob has returned to the judging world. Rob is a proactive problem solver – he identifies issues, finds appropriate resources, and fixes whatever’s going wrong without putting undue strain on organizers or other judges. His initiative is a fantastic example for judges everywhere.
To Rob Castellon Recognized by Shawn Doherty	“Rob, When I have to provide comments on judges for GP applications, when I see your name, I think, “”Rob: He gets things done at GPs””. However, this can come off as boring or bland when put that way, which would do a disservice to your efforts. What you actually bring to events is that you can save events from going of the rails. I have seen this myself and others have told me similar. I wanted to recognize you for your hard work and problem solving, particularly on the floor of GPs.”
To Robert Blanckaert Recognized by Adam Eidelsafy	Rob, your contributions to JudgeApps, such as the About Me section and the Vagrant Environment, have been most helpful. On top of that, taking the time to whip up software to post WER pairings to twitter is not just creative but, dare I say, exemplary.
To Robert Blanckaert Recognized by Alexei Gousev	Thanks for your great work improving the applications comment submissions — this was an extremely popular feature request for a long time.
To Robert Blanckaert Recognized by Jason Lemahieu	“Hey Robert! Thank you so much for all your efforts supporting JudgeApps. You have no hesitation about jumping right in and taking a stab at something, and you’ve been awesome at tackling tickets that I’ve put am emphasis on wanting to see done. Your contributions have really helped improve JudgeApps for all of our users. Cheers! – Lems”
To Robert Blanckaert Recognized by Carsten Haese	Rob, your contributions to the JudgeApps project are outstanding. You tackle difficult tasks with unmatched enthusiasm, and your work on setting up development VMs with Vagrant was instrumental in getting several new team members up to speed quickly. Thank you!
To Robert Blanckaert Recognized by Paul Baranay	Rob, I’ve heard great things about your performance at recent events. Your work on JudgeApps has been exemplary as well. Keep it up 🙂
To Sara Sukenik Recognized by Eric Smith	While I was sorry to see you step back from judging you should know that I thought you were an exceptional judge and I hope to see you at an event in the future in whatever role you feel like taking.
To Shawn Doherty Recognized by Nicola DiPasquale	There are many who helped me to achieve L3, but you were there with me throughout the process. I must say that my achievement is due to your commitment to see me succeed. I could not have done it without you.
To Shawn Doherty Recognized by John Shannon	As our regional coordinator you are supposed to help us with events, but you go out of your way to make sure our PPTQs have judges. You are always there to help and you always respond very quickly to any message for anything we need. Thanks!
To Stephen Young Recognized by Daniel Jackson	I’ve been impressed for years by your dedication to the judging program. You’ve turned the local store into a perfect training ground for those who want to become judges and are the reason why Albany has so many who want to learn. I’m proud to call you my mentor and hope to keep seeing great things from you.
To Stephen Young Recognized by William Anderson	You’re desire to better the magic community and the magic judge community is great. You stand up for what you believe in and are willing to have hard and productive conversations with others. Your actions at the store level cause others to want to become judges. I’ve seen more judges come out of Flights than any other store.
To Terrence Cheung Recognized by Erik Halverson	Terrence does a wonderful job mentoring many LGS’es in his area to increase player bases and help assist stores to getting to Advanced level. His level of commitment to the TO’s and players is something to aspire to.
To Thomas Davis Recognized by Ryan Stapleton	Thank you for doing an Awesome job presenting at judge conference @ Ryan’s House! I appreciate the effort and work you did for the event.
To Thomas Davis Recognized by Elliot Raff	Tom, your hard work and drive during SCG Philadelphia was unparalleled. Every time I looked up, you were hard at work accomplishing some task or another and you still found time to help players and to make sure they were having a great time. I’ve never seen any player leave an interaction with you not smiling. I pride myself on communication with players, but I could stand to take a lesson or two from you!
To Timothy Gagne Recognized by Ian Taylor	Tim, you’re a workhorse. You made judging happen in Rhode Island, and your efforts in mentoring and fostering a good environment have enriched the judge program beyond the ability of science to accurately measure. Not recognizing this would be a travesty.
To Trevor Boston Recognized by Chase Culpon	Trevor is consistently one of the best judges I work with. His rules knowledge is rock solid, and he’s awesome with all of the players/customers. I’ve seen him really shine when scorekeeping efficiently, while firing drafts and managing retail orders–he’s a mulititasking star.
To Trevor Gulley Recognized by Zak Whyte	Trevor, thank you for the efforts you have been making in improving the Delaware community that is sorely lacking an L2. Your determination is setting the area up for success.
To Trevor Gulley Recognized by Shawn Doherty	“Trevor, I wanted to recognize your efforts to making Magic in Delaware better. Even prior to becoming certified, you made excellent efforts to look out for the players’ interests so that things were run in a fair manner. I am happy to see the Delaware judge community grow and glad you are a part of it. Thanks!”
To William Anderson Recognized by Alex Stratton	“Will, Since you started the process of mentoring me to become an L1, you have given me some of the best opportunities and feedback that I have ever received in my life. Even now while I join you as a fellow L2, I feel there is still so much I can learn from you and your vast knowledge of the judge program. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your life to help me get where I am today, and for always being available to talk to me. You give just as much, if not more, to this program as anyone else I know, and I hope to see you reach your goal of L3 soon. Alex “
To William Anderson Recognized by Shawn Doherty	“Will, You have been a big help in helping me keep track of judges in the region. Your work checking records and compiling lists of judges in the region were useful, particular during the Level 2 Verification process. Keep up the good work.”
To William Anderson Recognized by John Shannon	You have above and beyond repeatedly to support the up and coming judges in New York. Specifically, you were the one who reached out to provide great feedback on potential L2s I tested. Your input was very helpful!
To Yonatan Kamensky Recognized by Christopher Rumore	Thank you, Yoni, for your leadership at Star City Open: Philadelphia. Your work as team lead was the first time I had ever actually felt as if I were part of a team. Bringing our team together for our talks before, after, and during the tournament really pulled me into the feel of a team, and I believe that’s something missing from a lot of tournaments. In addition, our talks about philosophy are always a learning experience. 😀
To Yonatan Kamensky Recognized by Sean Catanese	You’ve sought opportunities to bring the community together around things that aren’t just Magic, such as the Jewish Magic Judges group. That’s the kind of thing that builds meaningful connections that make a team work better in an event, too. You’ve also asked for help when you need it. That takes courage and vulnerability, and I appreciate the trust you place in all of us for that.
To Yonatan Kamensky Recognized by Shawn Doherty	“Yoni, I wanted to recognize you for your efforts to fit your religious beliefs and your Magic judging career together. Besides finding ways to fit judging and religious observance into the same weekend, you have also made efforts to bring like-minded people in the community together. Setting up the Jewish Magic Judges FB group and planning Shabbat dinner at GPs are a couple of ways that you have helped the community balance judging and real life. “
To Ze’eva Chasan Recognized by Louis Annino	Thank you for stepping up and managing our large prerelease when I was taken off the floor. I know that it had been a very long day, but you still took care of all 76 of our players and made sure that the event kept moving.