Board elections are one of the most important ways members can shape the future of GAMA: The Tabletop Association. The board is responsible for guiding the organization’s direction, setting priorities, and ensuring that GAMA effectively represents the tabletop industry.
Because these decisions affect publishers, retailers, distributors, media, events, and creators across the industry, it is essential that members approach the election with good information about the candidates and their perspectives.
SaveGAMA.org is publishing the current list of candidates and encouraging members to learn about their priorities, experience, and vision for the organization. Informed voting helps ensure that leadership reflects the needs and expectations of the community it serves.
Participation also matters. Board elections only work when members take part. Strong voter turnout helps ensure that the results reflect the will of the broader membership and strengthens the legitimacy of the organization’s leadership.
We encourage all eligible members to review the candidates, engage with the issues facing the organization, and participate in the election.
The future of GAMA depends on an engaged and informed membership.
In our effort to engage we E-mailed most candidates a campaign survey. We have no right to compel participation, and are unsure if people will participate. We only required candidates to answer three questions; their name, their company name, and why we should elect them. All other questions on the survey were optional, so we will share the required answers here (which included the question “Why do you believe you’re the best choice to join the GAMA Board of Directors?”) We used internet searches to locate E-mail addresses for candidates where possible, but we were not sure which company each candidate represents and were not able to find E-mail addresses for each candidate.
We are not endorsing any candidates. We are not supporting or opposing any current candidate, incumbent or challenger. We are just hoping to offer everyone the chance to better understand the candidates, if those candidates choose to participate.
Media and Events Candidates
The following candidates were sent our candidate survey. If they choose to respond we will share their answers here.
KP Upadhyayula
Nicole Brady
Brent Webb
Paul McKelvey
Mercutio “Mer” Behan
Grant Mielke
One candidate, Ken Whitman, was not emailed this questionnaire. Until every retail member of this collective receives refunds for PencilDice we support his removal from the organization, not his election to the Board.
Publisher
One candidate has returned our survey.
Keven Brusky is the founder and president of APE Games (apegames.com), and he left us the following answer as to why he is the best candidate:
“Maybe, like running for POTUS, US Senate, etc., the best qualified people would never do it. Honestly, I may NOT be the best choice to join the board. I can tell you that I’m not an insider. It won’t hurt my feelings if I am not elected to join the board. I am running so that I can give voice to those that know me and would trust I do a good job.”
The following candidates were sent our campaign survey and we are awaiting responses.
Heather O’Neill
Eric Chen
Ryan Lumax
Two candidates, Laura Hohman and Christopher Landauer, did not have E-mails we could locate. They can reach us via E-mail if they would like the survey.
Creator
The following candidates were sent our campaign survey.
Eartha Johnson
Will Major
Production
One candidate has returned our survey:
Matt Peck is the owner of London Pendragon (londonpendragon.com), and he took the time to answer both our optional and required question. When asked about the one area of improvement he would like to see GAMA make, he said the following.
“While there are several goals I would like to help advance, I would consider my time on the Board most successful over the next two years if we are able to make meaningful, measurable progress in strengthening member confidence and trust. To me, that means not only improving perception, but doing so in a way that can be clearly demonstrated—through increased member engagement, stronger participation, and improved feedback in surveys and other established metrics. Building that trust is foundational to the Board’s effectiveness and the long-term success of the organization.”
As to who he believes he is the best choice, he said the following.
“With 20 years of experience leading operational and strategic initiatives, I bring a strong background in project management, LEAN/Six Sigma process improvement, and organizational leadership. Throughout my career, I have focused on building efficient systems, developing measurable performance strategies, and helping organizations achieve long-term success through collaboration and thoughtful planning. I have worked closely with executive leadership to implement key performance metrics, improve operational transparency, and guide strategic initiatives that support sustainable growth. As GAMA continues to grow and evolve, maintaining strong confidence in the Board’s leadership is essential. I believe recent challenges present an opportunity to strengthen communication, transparency, and trust between the Board and the membership it serves. If elected, I would be committed to supporting a stable, thoughtful, and collaborative Board that keeps the interests of the membership at the center of its work. I would be honored to serve and contribute to ensuring that GAMA remains a strong, trusted, and valuable organization for its members.”
The following candidates were sent our candidate survey and have not submitted responses.
Michael Maggiotto Jr.
Nick Haas
Wholesaler
One candidate, Andrew Ciccarone of Sheltered International (siships.com) has returned our candidate survey. His answer as to why he is the best candidate was as follows.
“As a Licensed Customs Broker and Managing Member of Sheltered International, I’ve spent 10+ years navigating the tabletop supply chain for everyone from indie creators to global corporations. I am seeking to serve because our industry needs a direct, technical perspective on the ever-changing landscape of U.S. trade policy and tariffs. My goal is to use my 360-degree view of importing and customs to inform GAMA’s leadership and ensure our membership is supported and protected through the 2026-28 term.”
The following candidate was sent our candidate survey and has not submitted a response.
Tiffany Reid
Retail
Two candidates for Retail have returned our survey, and their answers are here:
Jeff Croff at Homebrew Game Lodge (homebrewgamelodge.com) would like to see GAMA work on creating resources to help member companies engage with local media, and shared the following as to why he should be elected.
“A career in marketing and communications combined with over twenty years serving on nonprofit boards brings a focus on effective governance and strong communication with constituents.”
Shawn Hendrix of Fellowship Games (thegathering.games) believes that GAMA should focus on business instead of social activism, and is the first candidate to take our survey who said he would stand for election as an officer if he wins a seat on the board. For the final survey question, why are you the best choice, he wrote the following:
“I have a large following and decades of experience.”
A very long list of names appears on the ballot, and the following people were sent our candidate survey and have not submitted responses.
Brandon Toyzan
Nick Jones
Kristin Brunetto
Boyd Stephenson
Christina Smith
Lea-Anne Welter
Adam Schotz
Heather Rothwell
Erik Vanzant
Gwendolyn Loch
Anthony Economos
Dylan Roberts
Christopher Troiano
David Wheeler
George Machado
Gregg McCleary
William Buck
Daniel Stephens
Jamie Mathy
For two candidates, Roger Campbell and Kelly Gowens, no email addresses were found.
Save GAMA 