The Panel of Judges at the Midwest Regional Competition evaluates the teams and presents FIRST Awards for design, technology, sportsmanship, gracious professionalism, commitment to FIRST, etc. Thank you to our wonderful Judges.
Gary Scalzitti Happily Retired Grainger, Inc & Elmhurst University
Kristin Brown
Sr. Director, Planning and Operations, Abbott Laboratories
Kailtyn Brown
Student, Lake Forest College
Julie Garnache
Education Facilitator, Fermilab
Roy Gedeborg
Director, IT Services, Quantitative Risk Management
Janet Holmgren
Specialist, Applied Sciences, BP Corporation North America, Inc
Jeff Holmgren
President, Otter Creek Environmental Services, LLC Aleisha Jaeger
Director, Project Engineering, Kerry Inc
Mateus de Camargo Jonas
Systems Design Engineering Team Leader, ATS Life Sciences Chicago
Sean Keighron
Board Member, Youth Robotics and STEM Education Foundation
Steve Kosanovich
Chief Engineer, Leidos, Inc.
Bruce Mahrenholz
Happily Retired, UL LLC
Louis McHugh
Director, Cybersecurity, Illinois Institute of Technology
Joe Marks
Happily Retired, Abbott Laboratories
Jake Miner
Electrical Engineer, KDM Engineering, LLC
Jim Nicholas
Staff Therapist, Midwest Counseling and Diagnostics
Dr. Karina Powell
Clinical Neuropsychologist, Neurosciences Institute, Ascension Alexian Brothers Medical Center
Starr Prochnow
Robotics Mom
Dottie Skierkiewicz
Happily Retired
Gerry Smith
Director - Retired, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago
Matthew Spenko
Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology
Mark Tomlison
Retired - CEO, Society of Manufacturing Engineeers
Wayne Vilchuck
Plant Quality Engineer, Hydac Hyraulics
Alex Waterman
Production Engineer, My Green Mattress
Steve Waterman
Senior Professor - Retired, DeVry University
JUDGE ASSISTANTS
Ruby Medin
Andrew Thomspon
Facilities Services, Township High School District 214
The judges for the 2024 Midwest Regional have the difficult job of determining which teams are the best fit for each of the FIRST® Robotics Competition Awards. We're thankful for the expertise and experience these judges bring to the table as they make these decisions. With the incredible skills, stories, accomplishments, and Gracious Professionalism that all of the teams attending the Midwest Regional demonstrate, our judges have their work cut out for them!
Gary Scalzitti Happily Retired, Grainger & Elmhurst University