| To Kush Singhal |
“Kush! It has been a long journey, but you have helped me every step of the way. You really do it all! The effort you put into mentoring Judge Candidates and Level 1’s on Long Island is astounding. You are always available for questions via text, facebook, or in person. Your leadership, mentorship, customer service, and availability really means so much to me and the judge community out here in Eastern Long Island. Thank you for everything you do.” |
|
To Jeffrey Emery |
“Jeffrey! You did an amazing job on registration at PAX East! You handled the insane amount of people in a very organized way and helped me keep my cool as a first time scorekeeper. Your innovativeness for helping me look up DCI numbers as you registered people helped so much. Thank you!” |
|
To Megan Linscott |
“Megan, Your work at PAX East was amazing! The way you handled the father that was helping his son during his matches, even though it was Regular REL, was simply astounding. The family was always so excited to see you and say hello and they came back each day for more magic with the father even bringing his daughter on Sunday! Amazing job Megan :)” |
| To Christopher Wendelboe |
“Chris! We’ve been through a lot together and I want it to be known that you have helped me so much on my journey to L2. You saw something in me the first time we met and you never gave up on me even when I was annoying you on facebook at 2AM about rules and policy questions. You’re an empathetic, patient, and very motivated mentor and I cannot wait to see where the program takes you. “ |
| To Bryan Li |
Bryan your work at GP Toronto was nothing short of amazing. On the sunday super series event was absolutely fantastic. You went well above what I would expect from a judge on the event taking the initiative multiple times to improve the event when I may have overlooked something. When it came time to move the event forward to new tables you handled moving players amazingly well setting up the new table numbers to make the move as easy for the players as possible. This was especially helpful considering we were trying to fire 3 different Team Sealed Chaos Conspiracy events at the same time |
| To Abby Kraycar |
“Abby,
I was very impressed with your work at SCG Baltimore. Specifically, I appreciated your ability to both recognize and face a problem you identified with another staff member.” |
|
To Dan Collins |
“Hi Dan, Your response to time sensitive issues is nothing short of amazing. At GP DC, we were preparing product for the 2nd day of the Main Event. When we realized there were no lands, our TL and our most experienced judge took off to resolve this issue. You quickly and quietly took over the logistics of the product distribution and worked out every detail without breaking a sweat. At the Columbus Invitational, each time the printer broke, you were the first to begin fixing the printer. You also send judges to go to pairings boards with their phones. Your quick and measured response to these issues sets an example we all could learn from, I know have. Thank you, |
|
To Mani Cavalieri |
“Hi Mani, At the Northeast Conference you gave a presentation on a topic that’s at the core of judging, how to take a judge call. This a topic that can bore an entire room of judges, but you didn’t need me to tell you that. Your presentation was both humorous and engaging. You dug deep to teach us how to deliver any ruling to any player by making then feel addressed. You then used policy to explain what information a good ruling needs to deliver. With presentations, it’s easy to give a bunch of pointers without context. Instead you gave us the tools to establish the context of each call we take. Despite this being your first presentation, every judge in attendance benefited from it. Thank you, Ps, here’s the link for that talk: https://youtu.be/I4a2GWTQf0Q” |
| To Jacob Kriner |
Jacob Kriner wrote and published the SOI Judge prerelease announcement helper and leaflet. I live over an hour away from the nearest LGS, but there are several different stores that are about the same distance from me so I have had the opportunity to play and judge prereleases at all of them, as well as some other places when I was visiting family or friends. I’ve had to make those opening announcements, sometimes with little or no notice, and I’ve seen other judges flounder with them (and often whispered reminders to them about new mechanics they forgot to mention or basic sealed deck construction guidelines.) This document is such an AMAZING resource for thousands of stores and judges, and will help ensure that players around the world have a consistent prerelease experience and that judges remember all the “important stuff” they need to say to make their event run smoothly. Thank you, Jacob, for taking the initiative and creating this extremely valuable document. You rock! |
|
To Gilbert Medeiros |
“Gil has put a lot of work into improving the scene in RI & Cape Cod where he is the area captain. It’s an easily overlooked area in our region and it’s easy to miss how much he has done to help, with running PPTQs, to working on store relations, to helping mentor judges. Even as the area captain, where a lot of this is his responsibility, his work is exemplary. He also consistently impresses me with his performance at events when I have had the chance to work with him. Thanks for all your hard work Gil, you’re helping make this region great.” |
| To Riva Arecol – Nathan Rich |
When I scheduled a PPTQ during spring break for one of the advanced level stores in our area months prior, I could not have imagined my Mom both moving to Florida, and being absent from my life for a large period of time. I informed the store owner that this would be one of my few opportunities to visit my mom, and I would not be able to judge the event. On your own accord, you decided to skip the judge conference held the same day, and cover my event seeing I was in distress that I could not see my mom in a time I was facing depression and anxiety. This act of kindness towards myself, and your determination to make sure the Capital Region players did not lose the opportunity to qualify for the RPTQ, is truly inspiring and an example to both judges, and those outside of the judge program, of how to step up in someone else’s time of struggle. Thank you so Much Riva. |
| To Tom Davis |
When I was judge managing SCG: Regionals earlier this year, I could not have foreseen our head judge, Paul Baranay, having to step out of the event a few days prior for another personal commitment. I was very worried about what would happen to the event, as I planned on having the role of XO throughout the day so I could learn from Paul, and know the event was in great hands. When Paul chose you to be Head Judge I was happy to know the events leadership had been salvaged, but upset that I would possibly no longer get such a great XO opportunity. You put these fears to rest instantly as you assured me that I would still be able to be your second in command, and you would make it one of your main priorities that I learned from you as XO. You succeeded brilliantly with this, and the event ran stunningly all while I learned multiple things about head judging a larger event. Thank you for stepping up and helping me through this event. |
| To Timothy Mack |
Complications arose at our SCG: Regionals event earlier this year when both our expected head judge had to step out, and pre-registration numbers greatly surpassed our expectations. Despite being previously denied to work the event, you stepped up only days before, and was able to attend as a Judge to help make sure the event ran smoothly. And to make your act even more exemplary, you did so on your birthday. Your quick response when being called, and your determination to make the event great beforehand, and while at the venue was incredible, and I look forward to working with you more in the future. |
| To Nathaniel Barton |
When wizards event reporter went down at our local FNM at Flipside gaming, the players were upset about the delays in the tournament, and worried about the possibility of it not continuing. As the TO, and Default Head Judge, you finished running the event on paper with plans to upload it later, and did so in a very timely fashion. Beyond this you made an announcement to alert the players about the situation, and made sure everyone was on the same page. This determination and professionalism in your event is the essence of what makes the judge program so great, and I look forward to seeing what else you accomplish both inside, and outside of your tournament roles. |
| To Tom Davis |
Tom, even though we haven’t worked together recently you still continue to be an amazing resource for me when I need it, the advice and direction you give is invaluable, and has helped me to keep on course many times when I would have strayed. |
| To Mike Noss |
Noss, since the day I told you that I wanted to be a judge, you have continued to do nothing but push me to be the best judge I can be. You were always there to make a study day for me, and to offer me a practice exam to take at your apartment or mine. When it came to my L2 certification, you pushed that bar even further. You helped identify my test anxiety and determined that interacting with physical MTG cards was the best way for me to get a grasp on the test. So on my test day, you personally purchased each card that showed up on my exam with your own credit and omitted the fact that I was taking the actual L2 exam. This is something, that in my perspective, exceeds the definition of exemplary. I am not only greatful to have you as a mentor, but I am honored to call you my friend. Until the next challenge brother!! |
| To Trevor Gulley |
Trev, your work on the community calendar is a benefit to both player and judges alike! The program is an easy source to find events to not only play in, but also to find opportunity to judge. You work diligently to keep it functioning and up to date. Keep up the great work! |
| To Charles Featherer |
Charles! You have been nothing but a positive force on every event I’ve had the pleasure to be on staff with you. At GP DC I witnessed you suggesting better ways to serve the players with the colored tab system for side events. This system also makes it easier for judges to identify the specific events more efficiently and quickly! You are an inspiration to all judges lucky enough to work with you inside and outside of events. |
| To Nicola DiPasquale |
When it comes to mentoring, the process seems to always fall back on the mentor waiting for the candidate to reach out to the mentor. Rarely does the mentor chase the candidate unendingly. That isn’t the case with you Nicola. Through my entire journey through the Level 2 process, you were always reaching out to me to determine where I was. You worked with Mike Noss to figure out how to help me with my test anxiety. Printing out my exams, providing cards from your personal collection for my practices, then finally secretly administering the final exam to me. All of these steps helped me get a handle on my test anxiety and I passed my exam due to your contribution. Thank you and I can’t wait to continue to improve with your help! |
| To Shawn Doherty |
I was really feeling discouraged at the judge program and the process for applying to GPs. You spend a good amount of time to sit down and talk to me about the state of the program and the application process. You put a lot of my fears to rest. |
| To Katie Bishop |
Katie, you did fantastic work in DC. You noticed a few problems that fell well outside of what judges typically have to deal with. You then handled them in a fantastic and professional way. Your vigilance made the event a lot better for the TO, the vendors, and also the players in the ODE area. I look forward to us working together again, keep up the awesome work! |
| To Joe Hughto |
Your system for ODE’s in DC was fantastic. My strong and honest prediction is that it will get people to forget about Trello for a while. It was quick, effective, easy to implement, and above all else, got someone so excited about using it that they joined a project. I’m a fan of all of those things, and you managed to do them all, and even better, in addition to your work on the event. |
| To Adrian St. John |
“Adrian, your presentation at the judge conference in NJ was one of the best I’ve ever seen. It was a great intersection of professional, interactive, and just generally friendly and engaging. Good job making ODEs seem less scary and more fun. “ |
| To Dan Collins |
Dan, you are just consistently one of the most impressive judges I know. You’re logistically talented, are always calm, and you are incredibly aware of things that might become problems if they’re left alone. Your presentation at the conference in NJ gave insight into what judges should do during medical emergencies – this is just another skill you have that makes you awesome. |
| To Bobby Fortanely |
At the spring 2016 Judge Conference you were impressive. I thought that your session on Modern Rules interactions was presented very well. I was able to take a lot away from the session, not just in rules knowledge, but also in how to hold and present yourself while teaching. Later on at the Don’t Make Assumptions panel during our conversation you were very insightful and helpful while leading the conversation. Stepping up in a situation and being a leader during a very difficult discussion is both brave, and improves the community at large. Thank you for sharing your insight with us. |
| To Paul Baranay |
Paul, your support and guidance with my article was invaluable and truly helped me shake free from some of the doubt and fear I was feeling. Please, continue your contributions to the community, as I know they are appreciated and well-received. Thank you! |
| To Ilan Seid-Green |
Ilan, you continue to be one of the driving forces of the Judges for Diversity project. Your attitude, ideas, and drive have been inspirational and has kept the team working toward producing quality content. Thank you so much. |
| To Christopher Cahill |
Chris, you were a great help during SCG Philadelphia. Particularly, you helped get an alternate system into place for verifying deck lists after we got the player list in a different format than expected, making the original plan difficult. You did so very politely, and with no drama at all. Thanks for the backup! |
| To Dan Collins |
Dan, you’ve been a great resource for the northeast over the past few months. Some particulars-you stepped in and built some great new tools for the PPTQ head judge spreadsheet, and helped put on the best conference I’ve been to. And that’s just scratching the surface. Thanks for all you do. |
| To Ian Marcellana |
Ian, thanks for all of the work you put into the latest judge conference! The venue and logistics surrounding the event were nothing short of amazing. The event was flawless from my seat; thanks for the outstanding work to put this together. |
| To Adam Eidelsafy |
Adam, you’ve been doing a lot of great community work around NYC. You’ve been spearheading bringing up new judges (which can be challenging in our area), lead a series of judge classes, and spearheaded the latest judge get-together. All on top of being a super active judge. Thank you! |
| To Chad Horton |
Chad, for the last PPTQ I judged at the Geekery, you were exceptionally well prepared on policy. Despite not having worked (m)any competitive events recently, you were fluent in all of the recent tweaks to policy, which shows you put in some dedication and focus before the event well beyond what I expect/see from most judges. Thanks! |
| To Paul Baranay |
While team leading at GPDC you did a fantastic job of communicating with your team members and making sure that everybody reached the goals they had for the event. I especially appreciated your use of FB chat to make communicating with team members much easier while we where spread across such a large hall. |
| To Nicola DiPasquale |
At GP DC I was the day 2 team lead for the Slips team, and Nicola was assigned to be my mentor/watcher/safety valve. Going into the day I was not sure what to expect in terms of feedback. Not only did Nicola give me a tremendous amount of valuable feedback throughout the day, he had SEVEN PAGES of it to give me at the end of the day in a marathon debrief session. To me that is far more than was expected, and I got a great amount of value from it. Thank you, Nicola, for taking so much time to help me get better! |
| To Megan Linscott |
At GP Paris I saw you take the time to sit and talk to another judge that was in ‘distress’ and having a rough day. He was in back of the stage and needing some time away, and I noticed you talking, but mostly listening to him. I just wanted you to know that I noticed this, that you efforts were appreciated and that things like this are what make you a judge to be admired and emulated. |
| To Mike Noss |
As we previously discussed, thank you, Mike Noss, for your work with Nicola to help test Krug for L2. Putting in the work to find the necessary cards and get the test ready was certainly above and beyond the call of duty, and I believe you deserve to be recognized for it. |
| To Jordan Trundy |
At SCG Regionals you were given a task early on with assisting a player who had fixed seating. Every round you handled getting the players at this table and the displaced table going in a timely fashion AND you did it so quickly you were fully at our disposal to get slips out. You really impressed me with how efficiently you handled your tasks that day. |
| To Benjamin Coursey |
You did an excellent job organizing New Hampshire’s first Triple PPTQ Day. The event was a huge success due to your efforts, for all of the organizers, players, and judges involved. Without your tireless efforts, we would not have had this opportunity to teach L1s in state how multi-judge events are run. Keep up the excellent work pushing the boundaries of what makes events awesome! |
| To Alex Lloyd |
You volunteered to come by later on during New Hampshire’s first Triple PPTQ day to help scorekeep and maintain floor coverage. This was out of your way, after your regular job, and done to give those of us who had been there for 8 hours already a chance to relax a bit and get some dinner. Your assistance really meant a lot to everybody involved. |
| To Jonathan Celso |
Jon, thank you for going out of your way to help me find a judge for an event the day before after a cancellation. Your help is invaluable and CT is lucky to have you as one of our judges. |
| To Michael Cox |
Mike, thank you so much for judging SCG States at the last minute. That event couldn’t have happened without you, so thank you for taking your day off to help out! Keep up the great work! |
| To Joseph Achille |
Joe, you have continued to impress me with your dedication to making sure that events in CT run effectively, and your willingness to help with the projects that I have. Thank you for going above and beyond to help CT be a better place for judges and players. |
| To Charles Featherer |
I did a happy dance this morning when I read the Judge Booklet was back and operational. I used the old one extensively back when I was still an l1 and am looking forward to using the new one now and telling the people I mentor about this as well. |
| To Dan Collins |
“Dan, your report for the NE conference was top notch. Great insight to what happened, good analysis of what worked and what not, learnings for next time. Exactly what we want to see in such reports! Add to that the public facing report which closes up the event for the public and I can say definitely say this is very impressive, both in quality and timing. Good job!” |
| To Joe Hughto |
I love how you’re always looking for ways to improve the program and the region. Nothing’s ever “good enough”, there are always opportunities to do better. From your work improving onboarding by starting the Welcome Wagon, to improving education with Mystical Tutor, to pushing for recording and streaming the recent Judge Conference to make it available to a wider audience, and even your interactions with other judges, you show a drive not just to improve, but to innovate and to challenge assumptions in all areas. |
| To Jason Riendeau |
At the US-Northeast Judge Conference, you devoted your own time to helping a first-time presenter with all aspects of his talk, from helping nail down his topic and developing his presentation to signing on as a co-presenter. I appreciate you taking the time to mentor him in this way. |
| To Ashley Miller |
Recently, you encountered some adversity at a local store in the form of a conflict between the organizer’s instructions and tournament policy. I wanted to commend you for recognizing this issue and not blindly accepting the TO’s “authority”. By seeking further advice on this issue, you’ve prepared yourself to be a better judge for the events you choose to work in the future. I’m glad you made the effort to stick with the program, first through your certification lapsing, and now through this challenging situation. |
| To Katie Bishop |
Katie, you got dragged into the Legacy event at GP Houston on short notice and really did an amazing job. You handled common (yet difficult) Legacy rules questions clearly and with grace; you made sure all the paper was handled; you kept in touch and helped me run the event all day. Really, I was very happy to have you with me all day as a cornerstone of my event. Keep up the great work! |
| To Anthony Hullings |
Anthony, I found exemplar, at GP DC, you always stocking up with a bunch of bottes of water every time you went back to or near the judge station to distribute to other judges. It means a lot about how you care about other people, judges as well as the players we do all of this for. |
| To Paul Baranay |
You had been extremely helpful for judge apps relate questions. I had an issue when I created the event for GP Taipei, which I sent a feedback to look for help. You responded within couple hours, found the issue and fixed everything for us, so we could open up application for this event on schedule. I later noticed another error due to recent change on role system, and no surprise it was you who responded in couple hours. Thank you for being so responsible! |
| To Charles Featherer |
Charles, I was thoroughly impressed by your innovation to ODEs at GP DC. You made life easier for everyone with a simple yet effective idea. The tags are going to become standard for GPs for years to come. Thanks for adding to the community. |
| To Nathaniel Jordan |
Nathaniel, your showing at your first Judge Conference makes me look forward to what you will do in the future as a valued community member. I was in three conference sessions with you. Each time, you added a lot of value. You volunteered and spoke up freely and insightfully, while at the same time avoiding common L1 traps of focusing on corner cases or just talking everyone’s ear off. I felt like the conference was better for having you in attendance, and you’ll always be welcome in the audience at any of my presentations. |
| To Christopher Rumore |
Chris, your work on Judge Calls Live is the best thing about every Judge Conference I go to. Hands-one experience is one of the best ways to learn, and you’re giving judges chances to practice at difficult calls. They’re still useful to me even as an L2, but I can see the clear value of fire-testing new L1s especially. Many freeze up, but they go on to learn and not freeze with live calls at events. Thanks so much for teaching the community! |
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To Alex Mullins |
“Hi Alex, This rec is going to repeat a lot of what I said about Chris, but: Judge Calls Live is awesome. Conferences have a lot of theory, but practice is always better. Putting judges, new and old, on the spot, gives experience that no amount of lectures can reproduce. It’s innovative and invaluable as a way to grow the community and help judges of all levels develop skills. Please keep doing it!” |
| To Megan Linscott |
Megan, at SCG regionals in February, you helped me through a challenging call with an agitated player. Throughout the (busy) event, you took the time to talk with me about judging and encouraged me to develop an idea into a judge conference presentation. Your reaching out and mentorship did a lot to encourage me to dive deeper into the judge program. |
| To Eric Johnson |
“I work with Eric Johnson up at Cooper’s Cave. Since taking his L1, he’s been working to have a more competitive scene but also friendly in nature; encouraging newer players to take the next step and helping to explain the difference at GPTs we’ve been running. Over this last weekend, he was our head judge at Chase Con in Saratoga for magic events, but also assisted with rules for other card and tabletop games, which helped the entire event run smoothly. His planning for where demos/tabletop/magic/etc was key in helping our weekend run smoothly, and his foresight and leadership as the head judge and event manager went a long way” |
| To Bryan Hare |
Bryan, you essentially turned over your PPTQ to me, and the experience was invaluable. Your detailed and prompt feedback helped me understand where I could improve as a competitive / PPTQ judge, and helped give me the confidence to go forth and run my own. |
| To Megan Linscott |
Megan, your work as my Paper team lead at SCG Regionals was exceptional. Not only did you make sure that your tasks were accomplished each round and kept the tournament running smoothly, you were instrumental in a tough Cheating situation. Your questions made my investigation that much easier, and you made tremendous personal steps that day when you were confronted with a similar situation in a side event as well. Prior to the event, I knew you were a good judge – after that day, I knew you were an exceptional one. |
| To Zachary Apony |
Zach, your work at SCG Regionals was outstanding. You were proactive, focused, and you wore a smile on your face the entire day, which was invaluable as we dealt with an event that was far larger than anyone could have anticipated. What’s more is that you raised the staff’s spirits and made a 10-round event seem much, much shorter than it actually was. Thank you for your work and spirit. |
| To Jeffrey Emery |
Jeff, your energy at SCG Regionals was infectious. You jumped at every task with a smile and hustle, and your demeanor was nothing short of infectious. You made everyone’s job easier, mine included, and thanks to your energy, a 10-round event seemed like a walk in the park. Thank you for your outstanding work and presence. |
| To Abby Kraycar |
For an extraordinary first time scorekeeping performance at PAX East. You did a fantastic job under pressure all weekend and it was wonderful to see you discover something more about judging that you loved. |
| To Andy Parris |
Andy, you did a great job for your first Competitive event at SCG Regionals, but what truly impressed me was the growth you displayed between that event and PAX East just a few short months later. You were confident, having fun, and making the event better for both players and judges. |
| To Dan Collins |
Thank you for your excellent work in coordinating the Northeast Conference in Hoboken. In particular, the work that was done to broadcast many of the seminars and provide timely feedback to the presenters demonstrated a level of caring about the improvement of the program as a whole that should be celebrated. The program has benefited greatly from your foresight and planning. |
| To Bryan Hare |
Bryan, your work in L1 development in our are has been exceptional. You’ve provided opportunities when none have existed, and otherwise put your considerable mentorship skills to work to foster growth. I look forward to further collaboration in how to get L1s more Comp experience and also in providing feedback to judges in the future. Thank you for all that you do for Boston. |
|
To John Alderfer |
“In múltiple occattions i have seen john politeness and education to treat others, but his ability to handle conflictive players, and his way to provide feedback are impressive. I wish to have someday the ability to handle raging goblins during events, and thank you for always having a great feedback whenever needed.” |
| To Paul Baranay |
Paul, your articles and your talk on Radical Candor have helped me immensely in my review writing of late. I think this is a great concept and I am glad you are pushing to share it with the program. |
| To Paul Baranay |
A few of your recent Bearz Repeating topics have had a huge effect on me. Radical Candor in particular was a great reminder of something that I think we all know but need some reminders to put into practice. Thanks for being such an inspiration to me and to so many others 🙂 |
| To Dan Collins |
For being such an incredible force for calm and reason online, especially in the JudgeApps forums. Thanks Dan 🙂 |
| To Douglas Spak |
Courtesy of Aaron Garritillo: Doug is also always willing to mentor people looking to get into the judge program. Doug is great about stepping in and guiding the candidate through the next steps, and making sure that they have an outlet for any questions or if they need further help with the process. There are several stores in our area, and Doug always makes sure that he staffs the events that need judges. He works on call for his primary job every other weekend, and it is not uncommon to see him drive upwards of an hour to help other stores in need. |
| To Derrick Correia |
Derrick, as a Judge, player, and T/O you have provided a great experience for your community for decades. Specifically your growth of the community in Fall River, providing great events and a great player environment is something that is extremely commendable. |
| To Yonatan Kamensky |
Yoni, over the past year you have gone through a lot in the program. Your dedication to providing a great experience along with willingness to grow is something that I admire a lot. Also, your willingness to work pPTQ’s in my area and ability to fill in with little notice for the RSG event was pretty awesome. |
| To Ryan Scullin |
Ryan, I feel the need to recognize you again this season for your continuous commitment to our Area. Without your involvement it would be nearly impossible to provide the player experience that we give players. Also all of the T/O’s you have worked with provided very good feedback about you and your events. |
| To Shawn Doherty |
As Regional Coordinator for the North East you constantly work hard to make sure that everyone under you has the resources they need to shine. Oftentimes this means that you don’t get the spotlight and I admire that about you. In recent times you have been a great resource for me as Area Rep for RI while I try to build my Area and the Judges in it. |
| To Dan Livant |
Dan, you have been a judge serving your LGS The Temple Games, for several years now. You have a great relationship with the players and owners at the store and they love having you. At the FNM I attended, although I did not see anything of note happen I did notice your very casual style was well accepted by your local community and it takes a long time for that level of trust to appear in a community. |
| To Katie Bishop |
Katie stepped up far beyond what I could have reasonably expected to help with my conference presentation. I needed ideas and consistent pushing to keep working on the presentation, and Katie provided those things without fail, despite the fact that only I would be officially recognized as a presenter. Beyond help preparing, Katie spent the time immediately before the presentation, and the entire time during the presentation helping me organize and facilitating discussion. Without Katie’s help my presentation may not have even existed, and it certainly would not have gone so smoothly. |
| To Dan Collins |
As an Area Captain, connecting stores in need of a judge with nearby judges is part of your job. But when you gave my name and contact information to Bearded Dragon Games, you went above and beyond that task. Not only did you name a judge who was in particular need of Comp REL experience at the time, but you chose one from outside your area. On top of all of this, what you did lead to me building a strong, lasting relationship with a great store. I wanted to thank you for giving me this amazing opportunity. |
| To Paul Baranay |
Testing L2 candidates is your job, but for me you went above and beyond. We had originally made arrangements for me to test at an upcoming event, but when I expressed my desire to apply to GP NYC as an L2 (something I doubted would even be possible given the time table) you did something for me I wasn’t expecting. You went out of your way to get me ready to test significantly sooner by helping me find an L2 to recommend me for testing, and making arrangements to test me while you were working late at your office. Your advice for me after our interview set me on a course to become the best L2 I can, and has shaped the goals I’ve been working towards to this day. You have become a mentor to me within the program, something I was very much in need of as a judge who, at the time, had so few connections to higher level judges. Because of your willingness to go above and beyond for your L2 candidates, I was able to not only advance within the program, but become more integrated into the Judge community, and for that you have my sincerest gratitude. |
| To Ilan Seid-Green |
“Ilan, we spoke about your great work after Day 2 at GP Paris but I feel it is worth a more official note. Your work at the main stage was excellent. You directed us calmly and efficiently, making sure to control the flow of judges who were delivering result slips and keeping us all going in the right direction. Additionally, you spotted a judge who was about to burn out and managed to call their Team Lead’s attention to it, amidst a chaotic end of round.” |
| To Justin Bova |
Justin, Your assistance at the PPTQ at White Knight’s Game Room last season was greatly appreciated. Your volunteering to help out after qualifying at another PPTQ was a great benefit to the event. Your showed great mentorship with the two judge candidates testing that day. Your guidance in showing proper deck check procedure was an invaluable resource for these aspiring judges. |
| To Joshua Hudson |
Josh, You’ve done a great job of working to create new judges in your remote area. Running judge classes is an excellent way to train new judges, but in inviting players you’ve not only worked to create new judges but improve the player judge relationship. Keep up the good work! |
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To Paul Baranay |
“Paul! You continue to keep improving as the JudgeApps lead. This cycle, I was particularly impressed with your initiative surrounding the level redefinition. You made solid efforts to get ahead of the game, and were incredibly responsive in addressing the couple of things that did manage to fall through the cracks. Thanks SO much for all your contributions! – Lems” |
|
To Gilbert Medeiros |
” We were double-booked to HJ the same tournament at Phyrexian Games. I showed up to judge it and you were confused. You asked me to step outside to confirm that it was an issue, which helped keep any drama away from the players. After the TO confirmed that he double-booked, you volunteered to play as a Standby instead of judge, even though it was an hour+ trip for you. The TO and I both appreciated your classy handling of the situation, and your willingness to change your plan on the fly. You’ve consistently put the event first at every opportunity that I’ve seen you judge. And that’s appreciated by both the TO community and me.” |
|
To Shawn Doherty |
“Shawn, Thank you for taking the time on a Monday evening to have a phone call with me talking about a difficult local situation. I haven’t had to deal with something as messy as that one in the past, and I appreciate both your guidance and your willingness to take time on a non-judging day to help me.” |
|
To Jeffrey Emery |
“Jeff, You were my MVP at Regionals. You hustled both with setting up before the event started and during the event. When I asked you to hustle a bit less, you stopped running to calls. I was able to put you on an island to handle Sides for a 600 person tournament, and I didn’t have to worry about sides going sideways. You also did something that I’ve only seen one L3 do correctly – you folded tablecloths in the last few rounds. You did it exactly as I asked, without taking shortcuts, complaining, or saying it was beneath you. You worked with Andy Parris, who had his first big event. You asked him some rules and policy questions and really did a great job to take advantage of that repetitive task to have some discussions and help him learn.” |
| To Nicola DiPasquale |
Thanks for your helpful contributions to the Policy Data Project. I know I can always count on you to provide thoughtful feedback on possible scenarios. |
| To Dan Collins |
Dan since the release of HCE you have tirelessly worked to help judges learn about the changes. You’ve provided easy to explain examples, asked questions to get clarification, and been a very active part of discussions on apps. |
| To Joe Hughto |
Joe I appreciate the time you have spent helping me understand tournament philosophy. You combine a desire to help better others with a no-BS approach. On many occasions you’ve helped me understand areas I need to improve in; giving me concrete feedback on making adjustments. Thank you for being one of the great teachers in the program. |
| To Andy Parris |
I am nominating Andy Parris or exemplar specifically for his infectiously positive attitude at SCG Regionals. We had ended up having over 600 players making for a very long 10 round day. This was Andy’s first larger tournament. Throughout everything Andy maintained his positive attitude and willingness to help. Even with signs of fatigue, he was always ready to jump in and help however possible. This made my day much more enjoyable knowing that Andy was always ready for action, or even a pep talk. Andy exudes the power of positivity, and deserves to be recognized for this. |
| To Spencer Dio |
I am nominating Spencer Dio for taking action and filling in when a local store was down a judge. At the most recent SCG States, there was miscommunication in whom was judging the event, leaving the store judgeless. Spencer was setup to play and jumped in and judged their standard states event. Spencer has been an L1 for only a little over a month and continues to impress. I expect great things from him. |
| To Charles Hartford |
I am nominating Charles Hartford for taking action and filling in when a local store was down a judge. At the most recent SCG States, there was miscommunication in whom was judging the event, leaving the store judgeless. Chuck took charge of the situation and judged the modern states event. This was especially impressive as Chuck has only been a judge for a couple weeks. I expect great things from him. |
|
To Charles Featherer |
“Charles, as far as I can recall, the first time we worked together was at Grand Prix DC. From the looks of things, a lot of people have gotten to you before I could. Your idea for using sticky tabs for On Demand Events in DC was invaluable. Every second we spend looking for a bracket is a second we’re not actively helping a player, and a second that every person waits in line, and those seconds compound on themselves very quickly, especially during peak hours. The combination of forethought you put into this idea, ingenuity of the idea itself (I’m probably stealing it for future events), and the dedication to spend your own money on something like this and bring it with you to an event shows a commitment that I don’t even come to expect from many L2’s. To say this behavior is exemplary is an injustice to the word itself. Thank you, Charles. |
| To Ian Marcellana |
Ian, you along with Dan Collins and Paul Baranay did an amazing job with the Northeast Regional Judge Conference in March. I know that you were instrumental in getting such a wonderful site for the conference and making sure that everything was in logistical order for the conference, and such hard work showed itself throughout the day. This sort of dedication could and should be considered exemplary for judges of any level, and it’s great to see you go above and beyond to show your dedication to the judge program. I’m sure that you will contribute much more down the road. Thank you, Ian! |
|
To Dan Collins |
“Dan, you along with Paul Baranay and Ian Marcellana did nothing short of a spectacular job with the Northeast Regional Judge Conference in March. The presentations were interesting and educational, and I was very happy to see that there were plenty of options for more experienced judges as well as newer ones. I learned a lot from your own presentation on handling medical emergencies; it’s great to learn skills that are useful outside the realm of judging, and you covered quite a bit even given the limited time allotted. It was also great to see you go the extra mile and post just about every presentation on YouTube so that judges could catch the presentations that they were unable to see. You’ve also clearly shown yourself to be an active and helpful member of our community, helping to coordinate area events as well as being a frequent and thoughtful poster on the judge forums. I read all of your posts and learn a lot from what you have to say. I know you will keep up the good work. Well done, Dan!” |
|
To Paul Baranay |
“Paul, you along with Dan Collins and Ian Marcellana organized and ran a wonderful Northeast Regional Judge Conference in March. I was happy to see such a wide variety of presentations geared toward all skill levels and covering a vast array of topics. Your own presentation on radical candor was one of the most thought-provoking I’ve seen in quite a while, raising concepts that really dig deep into the interpersonal dynamics of working on a judge staff and, more generally on any team or workgroup. Of course, this is just a microcosm of all of the work you’ve been active in for the judge program, from writing your Bearz Repeating blog to working on JudgeApps to what I’m sure are plenty of behind-the-scenes projects. It’s great to have seen you come this far in what’s been a relatively short time since you joined the judge program just a few years ago. I know that you will continue to be a valuable member of the judge community for years to come. Thank you for all of your hard work, Paul!” |
| To Daniel Jackson |
Dan during the last few GPs we worked together, I heard nothing but good things from players at the prize wall. They mentioned that you, kept the energy high at your event, and were just having a good time with everyone. You’ve given me solid advice on things in the judge program, and shown a different way to look at situations. Thanks for you do. |
| To Paul Baranay |
I had the chance to see how your leadership works in our JudgeApps Development project works and I have to say I’m very impressed. Your idea of having a feature that needs work exposed and talked about every Monday is really awesome and I think it made a difference in the project. Also creating Slack for us was a good idea since the communication is now very smooth and the project feels very alive. |
| To Eddie Mountney |
At SCG Philly, you went from being rather unsure of what was going on to nailing EOR by the end of the day. Your dedication to your task and your ability to quickly adapt and integrate new information is truly exemplary. Great job. 🙂 |
| To Zachary Apony |
You’ve really done a great job being a leader in the Amherst area. You jumped into helping a local L1 with some problems they’d been having with me and the judge program as a whole. You’ve also taken a real interest in another L1 that is having maturity issues. Your level-headed way of dealing with these actually difficult problems is inspiring. Keep it up. 🙂 |
| To Paul Baranay |
You really do a lot of things. I’m not sure people are aware of just how much time and energy you put into these things that you do, though. Any time I talk to you, it’s clear that you have your fingers in many things and you’re constantly doing all you can to make each and every one of them awesome. I particularly like the all that you’ve been doing to run JudgeApps. Enchancement Monday is a really good addition and keep things moving forward. |
| To Dan Collins |
At SCG Philly, you were the Sides Lead on Saturday. We spread out the tables a bit and made it so you had to move an event that you had just seated. You took this change in stride and got the players moved calmly and efficiently. I think just about any other judge would have been at least a little flustered or annoyed, but you handled it in stride like it was any other issue that needed to be fixed. I was really impressed by this. |
| To Charles Featherer |
Your innovation at GP DC for ODE results collection was one of those great ideas that come along rarely. It was both simple and very impactful. You’ve not been around very long yet, but you’ve already done so much to contribute to the judge program. You also managed to resurrect and push out a new version of the judge booklet, which is just great. Keep up the awesome work. 🙂 |
| To Bryan Hare |
You’ve been doing some really great community work, particularly with helping out a judge that has been putting a lot of effort into improving themselves. You have a certain kind of patience and positivity that is rare and I’m really pleased to see it being used well. Good job. 🙂 |
| To Christopher Cahill |
You’ve been doing a really great job organizing monthly Western MA judge meetups. As far as I can tell, you’re the only area rep we have to hold regular meetups like this. You’re certainly the only one making any sort of noise about it in the regional FB group. Western MA is better for your contribution to it in this way. Great job. |
| To John Alderfer |
Thank you for taking the time to walk me through the whole GP kit and how it is structured. As I’ve been learning more about tournament setup and logistics your time explaining thought processes and the way things are done has been invaluable. Your efforts and engagement around the way GPs are setup have made the GP environment a better place. |
| To Adam Eidelsafy |
“Adam, Thanks for the great courage you demonstrate when providing feedback. This may seem like a strange statement, but many judges are too uncomfortable with the idea of addressing problematic behavior to actually do it. You and I have had a few different feedback interactions, and I’ve found you to be consistently unafraid to offer your opinion when you believe it will help someone. Not only that, but you’ve sought out the help of others to make your feedback more effective and valuable to your subjects via groups like the Review Revue. Thanks for your dedication to improving both yourself and others.” |
| To Charles Featherer |
“Charles, Thanks for your tournament report about innovating in the field of ODE technology. You were able to share a seemingly simple adaptation that sounds like it makes a common ODE task a few orders of magnitude faster. It’s easy to just keep doing things the same way we’ve always done them, but you demonstrated the benefits of being willing to question the status quo. Your report has been so valuable that it still has people commenting on it a month after you wrote it to thank you for it: http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/25519/” |
| To Dan Collins |
Dan, the Northeast Judge Conference was one of the best-organized conferences I’ve ever attended. You (and Bearz and Ian) did an outstanding job of communicating clearly with presenters and attendees about deadlines, setting up a robust schedule and keeping the event going on time. I also appreciated the most timely feedback form return ever. Thanks for organizing this event so well! |
| To Chase Culpon |
Chase, there are ideas and then there are great ideas. Your idea of using a Facebook group for the GP New York travel guide instead of clogging the forums was amazing. By making this group, you have opened the door for using Facebook to work out hotel, travel, or discuss dinner plans in a large group setting. This action was an exemplary one that I know other judges will follow |
| To Dan Collins |
: So, as I posted on Facebook when finished evaluations for SCG Indy, I discovered that I had been receiving reviews for the past two years and just hadn’t been notified about it from Wizards. Of all the reviews I read, yours was the most helpful and constructive. Most gave good general praise for my work, but yours was critical of my planning for certain aspects of events as well as how I could improve in my interactions with judges which, to be honest, can be a bit too terse. It was great to finally get some constructive feedback on my judging skillset after so many years of no feedback at all. Thank you so much for your incredibly helpful review. |
|
To Charles Featherer |
“Charles contacted me the week before GP DC with an idea to streamline ODE scorekeeping. Based on his observations at SCG Philly, he recommended the use of coloured sticky-tabs to track events more easily and offered to bring some at his own expense. The tabs were a hit, and I thought it showed tremendous initiative to take what he had learned from previous events and apply it to DC. Thanks for the great idea!” |
| To Louis Annino |
Louis, as mentioned, I really appreciated the ‘Token game’ you initiated. It gave the whole event some unity and gave me an ‘excuse’ to talk with everybody on the staff. It is definitely a team-building exercise that I’m going to ‘borrow’ for my own events in the future. |
| To Anthony Hullings |
Krug – I wanted to recognize you for your constant presence as somebody willing to have difficult conversations. We’ve talked about turning down L2 recommendations, controlling debates, and giving uncomfortable feedback. While you approach these situations with the appropriate gravity, you also use humor as an effective tool. I also wanted to commend you on your constant communication on the Mystical Tutor project. While you’re not always able to complete your tasks on-time, you’re able to effectively communicate with me, which allows the project to progress smoothly. |
| To Daniel Villamizar |
Dan – you are somebody who Judges in our community can reach out to for advice. You are willing and able to effectively observe Judges of all levels, and provide insight feedback, whether directly to the judge or through an intermediary. |
| To Zachary Apony |
Zach – I wanted to recognize the work that you’ve put in to help grow our local community. Beyond your quality work at events, you strive to help Judges in the area improve. You’ve taken it upon yourself to help those who appear to be struggling to grow on their own, even when it results in difficult conversations. You truly want to help everyone you can, and it shows. I have high standards, and you exceed even those. |
| To Jonathan Celso |
Jon – while things may not always go your way, you carry with you great personal energy. At SCG Philly, I had you on my Sides team. I gave you tasks, particularly running a 2HG side event solo, that I thought would challenge you. Those tasks did push you to your limits, but you stayed focused and positive and managed to overcome the obstacles that you encountered. Take a deep breath, and keep being you – that’s what makes you great! |
|
To John Alderfer |
“I met John on my very first GP on the USA and although it was a fearsome experience for me (being from a country where events were run with 150 people at the most) he definitely helped me a lot to get acquainted with GP procedures for such large events. He was always there when I needed to clarify some doubts of mine regarding rulings or penalties and if it wasn’t for him shadowing me from time to time, I would have committed some mistakes that probably would later taken my confidence away when trying to deal with other calls alone. Since then we have both advanced in the judge program (I remember he even telling my why I wouldn’t test for L2 back then since he felt I could have handled it) but definitely his leadership inspired me and made me want to improve so much more. To this day I still have the chance to work alongside him whenever I go to the USA for some events, and every time his leadership skills inspire me and make me comfortable for working around him.” |
| To Hank Wiest |
“””Hey Joe, I’m reading the annotated IPG on this topic, and I’m stuck, can you help me understand it?”” This is one of the best sentences an L1 can say to me! You’re aware of resources, actively using them, self-aware of when you do or don’t comprehend something, and not afraid to seek out help about it. Absolutely fantastic approach and mentality!” |
| To scott puccio |
Scott, there was a very unexpectedly taxing PPTQ where we had to split the event into four separate, non-contiguous locations, which is a logistical…unpleasantry. You absolutely stepped up and made sure everything was taken care of across all the locations. You stayed on top of making sure judges were distributed for calls, that all four sections received updates of the round time, and made several good suggestions for where to post pairings and how many sets to print. You went above and beyond any possible expectations I had, your performance was absolutely outstanding, keep up the amazing work! |
| To Michael Mapson |
Maps, I picked you to Team Lead at a 5k, it was your first time TLing, and I only gave you some fairly precursory instructions, but you did an amazing job! You reached out to all of your team members well in advance of the event and helped build a cohesive sense of team. You also used a rotation system so that each member got to do each task, which I’m a fan of since it helps spread around the experience! |
| To Eddie Mountney |
Eddie, for a 5k I was Head Judging, I assigned you as a Floor Judge rather than a Team Lead. You did your work quite well, then during our debrief you asked me, in a polite and very respectfully manner, why you had been passed over. That was absolutely excellent from every perspective, your work seemed completely unaffected, and you didn’t have a sense of entitlement when you asked me about it, you simply wanted to know what you could do to present a stronger application the next time. Your performance has been very impressive every time I’ve seen you, I imagine you’ll have no shortage of opportunities going forward. |
|
To Joe Hughto |
“At the end of GP London you came to me to tell me I should think about going to the US to judge some events. Thanks to you I have been able to judge in Altanta, Pittsburgh and to visit New York for a week. In SCG Open New Jersey, you made me and Theo feel like we were part of the local judge community and it made our journey easier and better. I had never really found an opportunity to thank you, so here it is: Thank you for your kind words and attentions!” |
| To Charles Featherer |
Charles, we were paired together for the buddy program in DC. You had quite a few ambitious goals for the weekend and managed to achieve them all. I am specifically recognizing your focus on reviews and notes. You wanted to write two reviews and well as find someone to write a review of you, and you took thorough notes to ensure that was possible. Many judges would stop at a single review, not to mention your other goals for the weekend. |
| To Zachary Apony |
Zach, since taking over as the Event Coordinator at Worlds Apart, you have been very proactive. We’ve had some issues with staffing for events in the past, and you have worked to create a consistent schedule, as well as reaching out to judges to discuss their needs and preferences. Keep up the good work! (as long as the store exists to do so) |
| To Charles Featherer |
My first interaction with Charles was ODEs at GP:DC, his system was amazing and way above and beyond what I’d expect from any judge. He came up with his own system for ODEs and mapping and it ran awesome. That’s honestly amazing, keep up the innovating. |
| To Charles Featherer |
At GP Washington DC, you brought colored post-it-note tabs to use in the Side Events ODE area. These allowed the judges taking results in the judge station to easily locate the bracket for any of the hundreds of events occurring throughout the weekend. Although I never used the system myself during the weekend, when I walked past the judge station, I immediately recognized the brilliance of this innovation. Despite never meeting you, I know that you have a keen eye for logistical details and care deeply about improving the program. |
| To Megan Linscott |
Megan, it was a blast working with you at GP Paris and I’d like to thank you for showing me some cool tricks with deckchecks (like the deckcheck with hands drawn method). You really helped me power through my first deckcheck assignment at a GP without any major hiccups. Thanks! |
| To Shawn Doherty |
At Grand Prix Toronto you were able to amusingly explain how I could do my job better while also perfectly reminding me of the priorities that needed to be addressed. Your presence ensured that an otherwise hectic ODE environment ran more smoothly than anyone could have expected given the circumstances. |
| To Quintin Mirick |
You recently told me about a situation where a player confessed that they had attempted suicide days before an event. In that situation, you did you best to make that player comfortable, got their contact information so that you could follow up with them to make sure they were doing all right, and followed up with another judge after the fact to see if there was anything you could’ve done better – for that player, and for others at the event who overheard the exchange. That’s pretty exemplary behavior, as a human being in addition to as a judge. I want to continue to encourage you to be as involved and supportive of your community as you seem to be. Hopefully this recommendation is at least some part of that. |
| To Jonah Kellman |
Jonah, you gave me one of the most powerful pieces of feedback I’ve gotten recently, at our Newington event in February this year. Your feedback that my head-judging felt fine, but didn’t feel like Mani (I’m paraphrasing) was very real – but it is just one example of many. We went on that day to have a lengthy conversation of different styles of observing judges and providing feedback at events. That was also helpful for me, but I was more impressed by the fact that you were seriously and earnestly considering what I was saying as well – you weren’t simply teaching me: we were learning, and discussing, and working things out, together. This recognition highlights just these few examples of the value that comes from your earnest engagement with others in the program. Every time I see you on staff for an event, I always think, “Who can we put with Jonah?” Keep it up. |
| To Samuel Polio |
Samuel, I want to publicly express how much your contributions to the IPG for Players project have helped steer the entire team towards a much clearer and well defined view of what the document is supposed to look like. Your contributions are insightful, well thought out, and really help contribute to improve the work our team is doing. While the result is not yet public, you deserve recognition for the great amount of work you’re putting in to the project. Thanks for your dedication! |
| To Pi Fisher |
Pi, you were a later addition to the IPG for Players project, and a welcome one. You’ve put in a lot of great insights to our project and I can consistently rely on you to be active and provide great feedback to help us improve whatever we’re working on at the time. Thank you! |
| To Adam Eidelsafy |
Adam, you’ve done many great things in this program that I’ve been able to observe over the last year when we’re lucky enough to work together, but one thing I really wanted to point out was your continuing “The Goals Thread” that started in SCG Baltimore’s forums. While I see you didn’t come up with it, taking the initiative to continue it is to be commended. A great idea doesn’t become a tradition unless people pick up on it and share the greatness of the original idea. In this case, creating a thread post in an event for people to openly vocalize their goals for an event, and keep each other accountable to those goals is phenomenal. Being able to voice those goals to have your soon to be teammates help you out with is also very cool. I’m a huge fan of continuing this in all future events, and hope to see this trend become a tradition among the program. Very cool! |
| To Eric Smith |
Thank you Eric, for your exemplary performance as a Deck Checks Team Lead at GP DC (3-person team sealed). During the chaotic moments when all the sheets have been collected and the round is about to start, I interrupted you with a player who thought he had written 8 mountains and 8 plains when he meant to record 8 mountains and 7 plains. You took his name and assured me that the list would be corrected and that if he played what he meant to record he would receive no penalty. This made his (and my) day. He came by later to thank me for sorting out the problem but I want to pass this “shout out” along to you for making my assistance such a positive experience for him. |
| To Nicola DiPasquale |
Thank you, Nicola, for sharing an issue that came up on Saturday at the April 2016 SCG Open in Baltimore (inappropriately lewd comment to a judge). It reinforced my understanding that a UC minor infraction has occurred if “a player takes action that is disruptive to the tournament or its participants. It may affect the comfort level of those around the individual, but determining whether this is the case is not required.” Our discussion helped me define the border between “not cool, dude” and “creepy”. |
| To Megan Linscott |
Hello Megan this is for the GP Paris Day1 you worked harder all the day and and the time and keept smilling it was a pleasure, Day2 with french judges you taked a moment for share some experiences with us and it’s very rare thanks for that thanks for this |
| To Charles Featherer |
Charles, you impressed me at GP:DC in so many ways it’s hard to remember. You brought “Turns” dice that you had printed at home to share with your fellow judges. You helped optimize the On-Demand system to be better than it has been in the past. Of course, as always you were an awesome person to be around. You absolutely went above and beyond! |
| To Rick Salamin |
When we needed to almost double staffing at GP Vancouver on a VERY short notice you stepped up and did what needed to be done. |
| To Zachary Apony |
Zach, you recently wrote me what is probably the most valuable review I’ve received. All feedback is a gift, but you went above and beyond in your carefully constructed and well thought out review. Your positive feedback for me was specific and supported by examples in ways that I hadn’t considered and that I could share with others later. You wrote about my areas for growth in a way that was both honest and kind, and you suggested specific steps for improvement in these areas. At risk of sounding cliche, thank you for your feedback. |
| To Kate Skelly |
Kate, when you told me you wanted to run a sealed PPTQ at your store, not only were you the only one in state doing it, but it was shortly after a policy change to sealed procedure. Rather than expecting me to handle everything as the head judge, you started early to research everything yourself and discuss it with me to make sure we were both prepared. You even made and circulated a video about the new sealed procedure in the local Facebook group so the players would be ready, as well. Your hard work and foresight made for a smooth event. |
| To Charles Hartford |
Chuck, you stepped up to cover SCG Modern States on less than a day’s notice when the scheduled judge was unable to. Even having certified as L1 recently, you judged one of the largest events we have in state by yourself, with very little time to prepare for it, and then handled everything thrown at you beautifully. |
| To Spencer Dio |
Spencer, you attended SCG Standard States as a player, but when the judge was unexpectedly unable to attend, you stepped up to cover the event. That by itself is commendable, but on top of that, as a recently certified L1, you were able to cover one of the largest events in state by yourself. Well done. |
| To Charles Featherer |
At GP DC you did quite a few things that really stood out to me as being exemplary behavior for an L1. You sought me out Friday, even when you werent on staff to check in for the Judge Buddy program and to get some advice for the GP in general. This to me is awesome for an L1, it shows they want to make sure they are prepared as much as they can be or the event the are on. Then on sunday you absolutely blew my mind by not only taking charge of the reporting system for ODEs you cam super prepared for it. The sticky tabs on the brackets with numbers of drafts and such on them as well as the way you had the tickets “on deck” for commander pods was stellar work for any judge, let alone an L1 on his first GP. Great work man. (i am so stealing the sticky tab idea!!) |
| To Megan Linscott |
Megan, I wanted to recognize you for your perseverance and for your enthusiasm toward judging. When I met you at GP DC, you were a friendly, engaged member of my pairings team, and you had some clear (and useful!) requests when I inquired as to how we could add value to your experience. Our later chats showed me that you’ve had to deal with a galling amount of … shall we say “special individuals”? when pursuing more experience and involvement in the program. I commend you for your poise and grace, and encourage you to keep working hard; your community benefits from your involvement, as does the program at large. |
| To Nicola DiPasquale |
At SCG Indy, I had an unfortunate experience with a player, and when I brought the matter to you, you handled it well, and supported me throughout. You took the time to talk to the player in detail and explain how my ruling fit what is expected. After you talked to him, you recognized my frustration with the ordeal and recommended for me to take a small break to clear my head. I appreciate the way in which you listened to the player while, at the same time, respecting my decisions. |
| To Eric Smith |
I really appreciate the time you took to speak with me about my presentation after it concluded at the recent conference in NJ. Your advice, while aligned with my own opinion, is certainly very detailed and valuable to better my presentation for the next conference. Not only will it help me make a better presentation for less experienced judges on the topic it will help me make it better for more experienced judges on the topic which is something that I knew going in the presentation would struggle with. Thanks again for sharing your advice and taking the time to e-mail me afterward with a summary of that advice! |
| To Nathaniel Barton |
For your excellent handling of the tricky bribery situation during the Shadows Over Innistrad pre-release. |
| To Ian Edwards |
Ian is quietly one of the most competent and capable L1, and scorekeeper, in the region. He quietly makes sure events run smoothly, and without asking or making any noise about it seamlessly covers for other judges in events he’s in. Any event with Ian in it will be a well-run event, simply due to the way he covers and assists everyone in the event. |
| To Alex Stratton |
Alex manages to be everywhere and do everything in multiple regions. I’m recognizing Alex for being able to bounce around to so many different places, and run quality events all over. He could go three hours in one direction Saturday, then head over three hours the other direct Sunday, and do this in both New York and Florida. |
| To Daniel Jackson |
Dan makes sure to keep the area running well as the area rep, and can be found at almost any event mentoring a newer judge. He really goes out of the way to include new judges in competitive events, gaining them the much-needed experience to become a L2 |
| To Stephen Young |
Steve – your commitment to helping new players, new judges, and fighting for them is amazing. You’re a shining example of what all judges should act like and do. An instance comes to mind where you stood up for a judge candidate during a judge dinner. |
| To Dan Collins |
Dan, your work on the Northeast’s recent Judge Conference was nothing short of heroic. From beginning to end, you didn’t miss a beat and left nothing overlooked. I was frankly blown away by your success in streaming and recording the seminars. This took a ton of setup and a lot of editing time, but you made it look easy. As if that weren’t enough, you ensured that presenters received their audience feedback almost instantly. Finally, you took the initiative to start keeping documentation about procedures and best practices for running a conference, which will be invaluable for future conference organizers. Thank you so much for all you’ve done. |
| To Ian Marcellana |
Ian, you did a fantastic job with the recent Northeast conference. Besides coming up with the original proposal, you were invaluable when it came to actually coordinating with Stevens. One of the judge program’s greatest strengths is that each of us have unique strengths and connections, and you’re a great example of that. Thank you! |
| To Joe Hughto |
Joe, you remain a driving force in our region. Besides continuing to push forward and innovate on various projects (like PEP talks, swag, and the area reps), you are a steady presence with an open door. I also wanted to praise you for your work as Scheduled Events Lead on Saturday of GP DC. In particular, your Excel sheet to map out the entire room was truly innovative. I also appreciated your high level of communication before and during the event, which made everything much easier. |
| To Megan Linscott |
You are one of the judges who taught me the most over the past few months. Recently, when discussing the sexism female judges face, you told me, “It’s really exhausting to have to prove to people over and over that we’re ‘real’ judges.” No one had ever put the issue that straightforwardly to me before. In spite of all this, you’re one of the most energetic and positive people I know in the judge program. Thank you for not giving up on us. |
| To Charles Featherer |
Charles, congratulations for finishing the Judge Booklet and getting it out the door. When trying to make a difference, many of us are drawn by the allure of creating a new project. It’s easy to forget that building upon the work of others is often the better course of action. You, however, did not forget this — and that just makes your revitalization of the Judge Booklet all the more special. Thank you (and your team) for sharing this gift with us. |
| To Charles Featherer |
Charles, at GP DC I heard about two great innovations you came up with. One was the use of color-coded tabs for organizing ODE brackets, which was an incredibly useful tool for keeping things organized. The other was a 3D-printed six-sided turn counter, for keeping track of additional turns in a match after the round timer ended. I suspect both of these things will be utilized to great effect by judges in the future, and I wanted to make sure you were recognized for being the mind behind them. |
| To Ilan Seid-Green |
“Hey Ilan, It was a pleasure to work with you on GP Paris. It was amazing how you jumped in whenever something went wrong in our team, be it because of someone left us or just because something needed to be done but noone else around to do it. Hope we will see again on another GP Philip” |
| To Eric Smith |
Eric, we rarely meet at events and our focus in the judge program don’t allow to interact outside common events. Despite these difficulties, we found the time to have very good discussions during Pro Tour Atlanta, and I feel enriched both as a judge and as a person thanks to you! Riccardo |
| To Charles Featherer |
Charles. I had the pleasure of working sides with you at Grand Prix Washington DC. The method you devised to organize the ODE brackets, labeling them with little post-it flags with the ODE number, was a fantastic and intuitive solution to an often organizational nightmare. This is sure to be a method I will use in the future. Great Job! |
| To Gilbert Medeiros |
Gil. I wanted to take this time to thank you for your guidance at GP Washington DC. While you were not on staff at this event, you took time to sit with me and chat about my judging difficulties, and some apprehensions I had about my future in the program. Your guidance that weekend really put me in a comfortable place, and it was the faith in myself that you gave me that made me decide to take the next step that weekend. So thank you again. |
| To Daniel Jackson |
Daniel, your customer service is amazing, your cheerfulness during the entire event makes players and judges alike feel like their experience is so much better. |
| To Ellen McManis |
Ellen you came across the country to work GP Vancouver which is admirable as an L1 but that isn’t what makes you exemplary. Starting with a prep shift on Thursday and throughout the three days of the event itself I both experienced and heard great things. You always had a smile on your face, you were eager to help in whatever way was needed, and you seemed to be able to see the end goal without being guided. The last piece is what is inspiring as you are a new Judge with limited experience at large scale events. You had fun yet were professional and mature throughout. It was great to have you in Vancouver and you certainly made a good impression on many people. |
| To Paul Espina |
Recently you Head Judged a pre-release which in and of itself isn’t something worthy of special recognition in my mind. What was worthy is how you managed yourself and your event. You were consistently on the floor, watching Magic, and making rulings. The essence of providing great customer service. When you were challenged you asked for help, guidance, and feedback. You were mature, thorough, and thoughtful throughout the event. Thanks for putting forward the effort. |
| To Christopher Cahill |
Chris, Your coordination of smaller scale area gatherings in Western Mass is exemplary in my mind. You are busy with a full time job and life and yet still find time to ensure that you have nearly monthly casual meetups. Sure they have an educational factor and topic each month but almost more important are the benefit everyone gets by getting to casually hang out with a bunch of Judges. Mentoring, Learning, and Fun for all involved and all in a single afternoon. Great Job! |
| To Ellen McManis |
On the IRC #mtgjudge channel, you noted me being curt with people and PMed me to let me know how it came across, especially in text conversation. This type of micro-feedback to be pretty underrated. I reacted defensively at first, but you kept chatting with me until I could see your position. Honestly, this was the type of conversation that I expect from a friend, someone who knows that they can talk directly to me about how I’m acting. It impressed me to get that type of PM from someone who had been a stranger to me until then, especially since my identity isn’t a secret on IRC and people are afraid to interact with higher level judges in that way. Feedback comes in all forms, and I consider the circumstances under which you delivered this one to be noteworthy. |
| To Charles Featherer |
I expect you to get a few nominations for this, but I don’t think that should stop me from telling you that your system of having colored sticky tabs on the side of the ODE results pages at GP Washington DC was a significant step forward for how we run things. It is an idea that is head-slappingly simple, but we may be feeling the repercussions for years to come. I don’t think it’s an accident that you came up with this. It’s clear from your writing that you think deeply about the craft of judging and how best to make things better for everyone. Keep doing this. The future of the Judge Program is better with you as a part of it. |
| To Joe Hughto |
You are a wizard with Google sheets. This has manifested itself in many ways. At Grand Prix DC, you created a map to track where Swiss Side Events were placed in a sheet that could auto calculate based on starting table number and number of players. During the SE Judge Suspension and JudgeApps blackout, you helped me get a shareable Google sheet that had all of the latest Exemplar data. And finally, you are basically my tech support when it comes to trouble shooting my Google form event applications. |
| To Joseph Steet |
As of the writing of this nomination, you’ve written 31 Judge Center reviews this year, among the leaders in the entire Judge Program. Your devotion to the process of providing feedback, numerically expressed by those 31 reviews, is exemplary, and an example to others. |
| To Megan Linscott |
“Hi Megan, You’ve always been a pretty top-tier Judge and friend, in my opinion, but the degree to which you helped me at GP Paris put you well over the top. This event was incredibly difficult for me, but you found the time, around being active on the main event and helping with Judge Certifications, to remind me that you’re consistently in my corner and to help pull me through one of the worst panic attacks I’ve ever had. I really appreciate the gesture, and it’s incredibly important to me that each of us in the program have people we can rely on when things get that level of hard. I’m glad to have you there. Best, |
|
To Abby Kraycar |
“Hi Abby! Your work at PAX this year was excellent. Despite it being your first time taking score, you threw up a system, much the same way I planned to, and it proved effective in handling thousands of guests over the weekend. Thanks for all your work. Riva” |
| To Paul Baranay |
Paul, you have really been going above and beyond with JudgeApps features and backend changes in the last couple months. Notably, you set Jarrod and myself up as RCs, did region rebuilding, and setup the new Roles system. You make my life better. Thank you! |
| To Gilbert Medeiros |
Gil has continued to be a pioneering force in the Rhode Island judge community. The effort that I have seen him put forth in organizing events in this area and region far surpasses what I have witnessed from many other judges of his level and experience. I hope he continues to put forth this effort and grow this area. |
| To Rick Salamin |
You helped make my life easy. I appreciate your willingness to stay a little extra at GP DC to help get slips out for the next round even though our shift was over. No arguments, no push back just a “What do you need” and no problem. The willingness to do what is needed for the event is great! |
|
To Dan Collins |
“Dan, your efforts to maintain sanity in the Judge Forums are greatly appreciated. You present calm, rational, and well-supported responses to questions, and in a very timely manner. You’ve shown patience with people who are struggling to understand, you communicate clearly – all of those things are commendable. What makes this Exemplary? Because you’re doing this just because you love it, because you see a need and you’re attending to that need – a behavior example that others should follow! Thanks!!!” |
|
To Jason Riendeau |
“Jason, At GP Houston, you went out of your way to find opportunities to provide feedback for me. It is rare that judges are so willing and eager to “”review up”” and the effort you put forward gave me a rare treat to assimilate some outside opinions to my introspection. To top it all off, you found and scheduled time with me to discuss a lengthy email with me via phone. The dedication that you put into the review was amazing. If you put just a fraction of that effort into reviews for other judges, then your contributions to the program are immense.” |
| To Ilan Seid-Green |
Ilan, your contributions to the Judges for Diversity group have been enlightening and a good example for others in how to run a project that doesn’t necessarily have a discrete set of deliverables and deadlines. Thank you. |
| To Steven Staff |
Steven, I wanted to recognize you for your efforts in helping judge candidates in your area work towards Level 1. Although, you were not able to certify the candidates yourself, you willingness to work with them and help them get to judge conferences was critical in them being able to have the chance to certify. Thanks for your efforts! |
| To Robert Coker |
Robert, I wanted to share the thoughts of one of the local L1 judges whom you have had a big impact on. From Jordon Trundy: “Robert works tirelessly to make sure that his store fosters a great community among players and had been my first LGS when I started playing Magic again in 2011. Despite being fairly busy with his store, he always made the time to discuss and help me focus on the challenges I have in the Judge Program. He also has pushed me every single time I have had doubt in the Judge Program to work harder to go one step further and try to make things better rather than give up. I would not be so close to L2 right now without his support. I want to recognize him for excellent mentorship behaviors and always trying to find a constructive way to tackle difficult issues in the program.” Great work, Robert! |
| To Eddie Mountney |
Ed, I wanted to recognize you for your efforts running a TCG club at the high school you teach at. Not only to you help give rulings at these events, but you provide opportunity where they the students can play Magic in a positive environment. Thanks for your hard work in this effort. |
| To Dan Huber |
Dan, I wanted to thank you for your willingness to help out with two different presentations at the Spring Regional Judge Conference. Presenting at a large conference is above and beyond what we expect from a L1 judge, so your help with two in the same conference is a great benefit. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the community. |
| To Charles Featherer |
Charles, I wanted to thank you for work presenting at the Spring Regional Judge Conference. Presenting at a large conference is above and beyond what we expect from a L1 judge, so I appreciate your willingness to take on this role. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on mentoring with the community. |
| To Ellen McManis |
Ellen, I wanted to thank you for work presenting at the Spring Regional Judge Conference. Presenting at a large conference is above and beyond what we expect from a L1 judge, and presenting solo even more so. I appreciate your willingness to take on this role and sharing your presentation on Slow Play with the community. Thanks! |
| To Joshua Hudson |
Josh, I wanted to thank you for work presenting at the Spring Regional Judge Conference. Presenting at a large conference is above and beyond what we expect from a L1 judge, and presenting solo even more so. I appreciate your willingness to take on this role and sharing your presentation on Educating New Players with the community. Thanks! |
| To Matt Cooper |
Matt, I wanted to say that your tournament report from SCG Regional (http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/24754/) was well-written and informmative. In additon, when you were asked questions about what you wrote, you provided explanations that showed you thought about what you had done. It was a great example of how to share tournament experiences with others. Thanks! |
| To Katie Bishop |
Katie, I wanted to recognize you for your work on Sides at GP Washington DC. You had a great attitude about working the different event that I think made a positive impact both on the players in the events and the other judges on staff. Keep up the good work! |
| To Sean Calvo |
Sean, I wanted to recognize you for the way that you handled the PPTQ that you played in and then helped judge the Top 8. First, you took initiative to try to gain judging experience, even though you were not activated as a Standby Judge. It can be tough to find opportunities to work a PPTQ, so even though you unknowingly violated part of the MTR by doing it, it was still a positive experience. In addition, you wrote a tournament report where you shared experiences, including the perspective of helping an event you played in. I was also impressed by the way you handled the situation once the error was pointed out. You took responsibility and tried to learn from the experience. I think it is important to see that someone can still show exemplary behavior even when it includes a mistake. |
| To Theodore Holten |
Ted, I wanted to thank you for your efforts to improve the way the Exemplar program and related area operate. When I reached out to Level 1 judges for feedback on the Exemplar program was working for them, you took the time to share not only your view of how the program impacted yourself, but how you saw the program impacting others. It provided me some valuable feedback on ways to look at different aspects of how recognitions are done and may have a lasting impact going forward. Thanks again for making the effort. |
| To Dan Collins |
Dan, I wanted to thank you for your work spearheading the Spring Regional Conference. Organizing and running a 150+-person conference is a monumental task. You and your team did a fantastic job finding a great location, getting informative and diverse presentations, and keeping everything running smoothly. Although I was able to show my appreciation at the event, I wanted to reiterate my thoughts, since this conference went above and beyond many of the large conferences I have seen put together. |
| To Tom Davis |
Tom, since moving to the Central NY area, you have made a big impression on the local community. One store owner shared that you made efforts “to get stores to reorganize or better coordinate their events to avoid scheduling conflicts. He has a fantastic presence at events, and trains and encourages more Level 1 potentials than any L2 I have worked with. He’s exactly what I wish every judge was.” Thanks for your hard work! |
| To Jeffrey Emery |
Jeff, I wanted to thank you for your efforts to coordinate with the local stores and organizers in Maine. Your work to setup and maintain a system that avoids overlaps for PPTQ scheduling has netted positive results. It’s great that you are able to provide contact to those stores and help them have the judges they need to run their events and help the Magic community. |
| To Riva Arecol – Nathan Rich |
“Riva, I wanted to thank you for your efforts to make sure that stores in remotes areas have the proper judge they need for their events. When I reach out to the community to fill a last-minute judge role, you are consistently willing to step up and see if you can help. Even when it ends up not working out, the enthusiasm and commitment to helping is a great help in allowing me to serve the region as RC. “ |
| To Christopher Cahill |
Chris, I wanted to recognize you for organizing the monthly judge gatherings for Western Massachusetts. These events have been a mixture of social gathering of judges and education of the the participants. I think they are a great way for judges in the area to learn from each other and from others outside the area. |
| To Paul Baranay |
Paul, I wanted to thank you for your blog postings on Bearz Repeating, particularly the one you wrote from a scorekeeper’s perspective. The message provided a less-discussed perspective on what judges do. I think it provided some interesting lessons and tips that will be helpful for judges in the future. |
| To Joe Hughto |
Joe, I wanted to thank you for your passion and dedication to seeing the region grow through sharing knowledge. In particular, you organized a online discussion for the Area Reps and other leaders in the region to discuss different topics. This was scheduled to occur the same day as the level redefinition, which gave people a chance to share thoughts rapidly and allay concerns, if any. That forethought was helpful in keeping the region growing. |
| To Eli Meyer |
“Eli, I wanted to recognize you for your online presence in the judge community. You continue to offer clear and teachable moments on the Judge Forums. One particular example was your tournament report for the charity event (http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/25308/) where you called out particular lessons from each situation. Keep up the good work and continue to share your thoughts with others. “ |
| To Christopher Wendelboe |
“Chris, I wanted to recognize you for recent post in the tournament report forum. You wrote an enjoyable tournament report from SCG Regional (http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/24622/). It had education points and lessons learned that showed what you gained from the event and how others can benefit from your experiences. “ |
| To Paul Baranay |
Paul, thanks for continuing to add improvements to Judgeapps, in particular the one that corrects the preview to show the event name instead of “Login”. |
| To Mani Cavalieri |
Mani, at the Northeast Judge Conference in March, you did an outstanding job with your seminar. You took an important topic that many judges need to improve on and organized the material effectively and clearly. Your delivery was polished, professional and remarkably well-rehearsed. |
|
To Lawrence Lam |
“Lawrence, I want to recognize you for your first GPT’s preparation effort. Reading the IPG is expected for judges who judge Comp REL events; however, you made the additional effort to go over judge articles, tournament operation material, and other resources in order to help Brooklyn Wasteland Games run its first GPT smoothly. As it was your first time head judging a Comp REL event, you contacted me for suggestions and asked me to assist in you study. This sense of responsibility is an attribute that all judges should have. I also want to recognize you for proactively solving the TO’s WER technical issue on the day of the GPT. When I stopped by, I witnessed that you proactively re-entered all the results for the first 4 rounds because WER automatically set the number of swiss rounds incorrectly. The spotting of the issue and the swift remedy is what makes a great judge. Please continue to be a role model for the two judge candidates in Brooklyn Wasteland Games.” |
| To Joseph Stempo |
“Joe, I want to recognize you for coming out to judge the April GPT in Nebulous Gaming as promised even though you moved back to PA. As judging is volunteer work, many judges will prioritize exceptional personal events over judging and being able to live up to one’s committment is a virtue all judges should have. For being the HJ on your first Comp REL event, you handled 23 players with exceptional customer service. I also wanted to recognize you for the preventative measure you took for Outside Assistance. You noticed some spectators who were standing and talking too close to a match, and you proactively and politely asked them to move. Thank you for being an exemplary judge. I hope to see you as an L2 one day. “ |
| To Russell Deutsch |
Russell, I want to recognize you for your enthusiasm on the 43-man April PPTQ event in Nebulous Gaming that we judged together. You showed up with a lot of energy and proactively performed routine tasks such as handing out result slip, deck checks, and starting end-of-round. As the projector and blank slips were used because the printer wasn’t working, you communicated the addition instructions effectively to the players and managed work with these last-minute improvisions with no problems. Keep up the good work, and I hope to see you as a L2 one day. |
| To Anthony Hullings |
Krug, I want to recognize you for two things in working with you at SCG Philadelphia Open, and they both have to do with the “J” in judge. First, you proactively tidied up the event space, which includes picking up trash and pushing in chairs. And second you promoted and spreaded these ideas to other judges. You even reminded judges that excessive trash left by a player is USC – Minor. It is important to have a clean and professional space, and although many judges already to perform these tasks, not many speak it out loud. You, on the other hand, remind all judges to promote awareness of this responsibility, which is something I find truly exemplary. Thank you. |
| To Bryan Li |
You kept the whole team hydrated in GP Toronto. Every single end of round you had your pockets full of water bottles and you were always asking if someone wanted some during your shift. Thank you for your help |
| To Erik Mulvaney |
Your analysis of other judges behavior is honest, blunt, and humorous in its precision. I’d love to see more judges critically analyze past behavior and deliver it with the same elegant simplicity that you do. |
| To Ian Taylor |
“Ian Taylor is a consistent source of wisdom. I applaud his willingness to remind his fellow judges of the past mistakes of the judge program as well as his current ability to provide context and understanding. While I also enjoy his stories, what I’m highlighting here is this: I wish more judges would emulate Ian’s ability to look beyond the situation at hand, relate that situation to a larger context, and then amicably and intelligently share that context with his fellow judges.” |
| To Simon Cooper |
I wanted to give you some recognition for your continuous great service as a judge over such a long period of time (ya, your old), everywhere I travel for GP’s I see your lending your experience to help ensure events are run excellently – continue the great work! Your rules knowledge coupled with an interpersonal skill set far above your peers has constantly ensured your presence is felt at every GP I have attended. Your dedicated support to the program, it’s players, and organizers has helped build the MTG community globally. |
| To Louis Annino |
Louis, starting the Token Game at the EE 5K was not only incredibly fun and rewarding, but in doing so you saw to a need for the judge staff that made the event a learning experience for everyone. This also had an effect on the players because they could see us having a blast and being interactive with each other and the attendees. |
| To Abby Kraycar |
While at PAX, you really stepped up to the plate when you took on Scorekeeping. You not only did the job well, but you kept cool, calm, and collected in an environment that really needed a Scorekeeper who would be that focal point. While you were sitting in that chair, I was never worried about the turnover and consistency of my events and that is truly exceptional while juggling nearly half a dozen events at once. |
|
To John Alderfer |
“I always enjoy working alongside you and particularly at GP Toronto. I think you do a great job of raising up the judges on your staff and I know that you not only notice, but call out when people do things unexpectedly well. That recognition is important to ongoing excellence and I appreciate seeing that in a leader. You are definitely the kind of judge I strive to be.” |
