Gamer Guest of Honor

Some people get jobs in the hobby industry through talent and ability.  Some get jobs though charisma.  Some get jobs through connections.

Some, like Tony, find themselves in the gaming biz through a combination of longtime fandom, steady volunteering, and bemused good fortune!

Tony’s interest in hobby games began at age 8, when, for $6, he bought a copy of Avalon Hills’ ‘War at Sea’ from a small game store in New Mexico.  Anyone remember that one?  He was instantly hooked.  All throughout high school, he could be found with his nose in a D&D sourcebook or in an intense game of Diplomacy.  His love of games expanded in college, becoming an avid Mechwarrior fan at the hands of his roommate.  However, it wasn’t until about 1996, when some very helpful friends who will remain nameless got him hooked on a card game called Magic, when he thought he might like to work within the hobby industry.

That road was far more circuitous than he imagined.  He couldn’t seem to get an interview no matter how much he tried.  Then, in the spring of 1998, on a whim, he submitted a resume to work at the WotC summer game camp.  He assumed that nobody would ever look at someone who could only work for three weeks during the summer.  He assumed wrong, and soon found himself at the WotC store in the University district in Seattle, Washington, only a few blocks away from his day job as a bioengineer.   From that point on, he found himself increasingly involved as a volunteer wearing several different hats, including events director for several regional gaming conventions; DCI scorekeeper; WotC demoer; and WizKids Envoy.   By 2004, he was serving as a Director of Special Events at Origins, in charge of gaming initiatives for spouses, children, and newcomers.  In August 2004, Tony accepted a position with WizKids as the Envoy Program Manager.  He is responsible for WizKids Envoys worldwide, providing strategic and tactical vision for one of the largest organized play programs in the hobby gaming industry.

When he’s not at work (which isn’t that often!) he can be found riding his bicycle around Seattle, reading a good book or two, playing the electric bass for one of his two rock bands, or trying to convince his very patient wife of 12 years why they should go to just one more convention this year.