The following group of people help run the IFPA and the WPPR Rankings. If you have any questions or would like to speak to a member of the staff, please contact us here.
To contact the IFPA Women’s Advisory Board directly, please email us at IFPAWomen@gmail.com.
Roger Sharpe
Co-Chairman – IFPA Founder
Roger Sharpe’s contributions and impact on the coin-operated amusement game industry have been evident for over 30 years. From his acclaimed book on pinball machines, testifying in New York City to help legalize the games and for 15 years, the Director of Marketing and Licensing for Williams Bally/Midway. He has also spent time designing games, and contributing to many of the coin-op industry trade magazines.
Steven Epstein
*Co-Chairman – IFPA Founder
Steven Epstein’s accomplishments are no less impressive as the owner/operator of the world famous Broadway Arcade in New York City for more than 35 years. Epstein also worked with Stern Pinball to promote the company’s TOPS tournament pinball system.
Josh Sharpe
President
Josh Sharpe’s contributions to competitive pinball started with the creation of the Illini Pinball Association in 1998 on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. From there Josh created the PinBrawl World Team Pinball Championships, held at Pinball Expo in Chicago for several years and now held at the Michigan Pinball Expo. In the Spring of 2006, with the help of many players and enthusiasts, Josh created the World Pinball Player Rankings and resurrected the defunct International Flipper Pinball Association.
Zach Sharpe
Vice President
Zach Sharpe took over the Illini Pinball Association in 2002, and has overseen its continuance even after he has left the campus. Since 2017, Zach has been the Director of Marketing at Stern Pinball. He has been an integral part in the continuing promotion of competitive pinball to the player community. Zach is responsible for all of the IFPA/Stern campaigns as well as all of the IFPA related media outreach.
Sammie Bacon
Director
Samantha discovered pinball at the age of 4 and grew up seeking out whatever tables she could find. Jumping into competitive pinball in 2018, she quickly earned an IFPA Biggest Mover award, created a pingolf league, and helped organize tournaments around North Carolina. Currently, Sammie hosts the Triad Pinball twitch stream, with help from several other trans hosts. She continues her enthusiasm for the sport, highlighting women’s and gender-nonconforming people’s success in tournaments across the southeast.
Andy Bagwell
Director
A lifelong Illinois resident, Andy grew up in the town of Zeigler and was introduced to pinball by his father Jeff at a young age. He had no idea competitive pinball even existed until he moved to Elgin in his early 30’s. His wife Ruthanne pointed out a local league at Enterrium and convinced him to join. Ironically, it was being run by Josh Sharpe. Within roughly 2 years Andy took over both the Enterrium league and the IFPA Illinois State Representative position from Josh, while also reaching as high as 18th in the IFPA World Pinball Rankings. Andy has a passion for incentivizing players of all skill levels to attend and enjoy events he runs, and hopes to help the IFPA grow competitive pinball in the same way.
Adam Becker
Director
Adam Becker started with the IFPA as Canadian Country Director back in 2012 and has now transitioned into a larger role within the IFPA organization. As IFPA Director, Adam is responsible for approving all calendar submissions and results submission. He also serves as tournament director for any IFPA corporate events that he is able to attend.
Crystal Cory
Director
In November 2021, Crystal entered her first competition and hasn’t stopped since. Within two years, she started running monthly women’s tournaments, co-running an eight-week traveling league, and filling in as TD in various weekly tournaments as needed. Pinball has helped Crystal both personally and professionally: giving a training on how to play Jurassic Park helped her to secure her current role in training and development. She is currently the Women’s State Rep for Utah and is working hard to lower the barrier of entry for new players, support new TDs, and grow the pinball community through advertising and outreach.
Olivia Helm
Director
Olivia Helm and her wife Kayden got into pinball in 2016 when they decided their home arcade needed pinball noises in it. Since then, they’ve been repairing, restoring, and customizing machines while participating in tournaments and serving as backup tournament directors and scorekeepers for various competitive events as often as three times per week. They also frequently host pinball- and arcade-related events at their home arcade and assist other members of the community with repair and restoration. Olivia is from Chandler, Arizona, and is a regular participant in Phoenix Belles & Chimes and Tilt Studio Tempe Pinball League.
Karyn Kiser
Director
Karyn Kiser found pinball in Lyons, Colorado, in 2009. Since that time, she’s remained active in pinball communities around the world while living in the United States, Japan, and (currently) Sweden. Karyn believes that individual tournament directors play the greatest role in shaping the culture of competitive pinball in their corners of the hobby. Her work within the IFPA will focus on initiatives to support tournament directors in approaching that role. She is a former IFPA Women’s World Champion.
Germain Mariolle
Director
Germain Mariolle, originally from France, relocated to Seattle, USA in 2015 for work-related endeavors. Shortly thereafter, he became actively engaged in the local pinball scene, rekindling a childhood passion that dates back to his teenage years in France. Presently, he serves as the Washington state director, organizing two prominent competition events in the region—the WA NW Pinball Champs and NW Pinball Show tournaments. Germain contributes to the IFPA team, assisting in the review of events and results.
Kim Martinez
Director
Kim Martinez was thrust into the pinball scene in 2016 when she was asked to run the Level One Silverball League at Level One Bar + Arcade in Columbus, Ohio. With years of experience playing in and directing tournaments and leagues (including the 2019 Ohio Show Women’s Tournament and the first Women’s Royal Rumble of the Cleveland Pinball and Arcade Expo), Kim aims to change the landscape of tournament organizing by building strong resources for up-and-coming organizers.
Jackie Olson
Director
Jackie first dipped her toes into the San Francisco pinball scene in 2016 but took a long break before diving back into the deep end in 2022. She now serves as the Women’s IFPA Northern California State Rep and has been organizing and running pinball events throughout the Bay Area including weeklies, selfie league, and an annual fundraiser tournament benefiting The Trevor Project. In October of 2022, she founded the San Francisco Queer Pinball League, which has grown to nearly 100 members. Jackie’s mission is to diversify the pinball scene, make pinball easily accessible to new players, and to continue “queering up the joint.”
Michael Trepp
Director
Michael Trepp started competitive pinball in 1999 and was immediately hooked. He was always interested not only in competing, but also in helping to shape and develop the scene. He is the country director for Switzerland almost since the IFPA was resurrected and has been approving results and calendar submissions since the beginning of 2020.
Zoe Vrabel
Director
Zoe Vrabel has been playing in and running competitive pinball events since 2009. She has served as an IFPA State Representative for multiple states and has directed over 500 IFPA events ranging from weeklies to world championships. In 2015, she represented Oregon at the first IFPA North American Championship, and in 2016 she followed up by winning the first IFPA Women’s World Championship. She helps moderate Tilt Forums and feels strongly that intentional community management, both online and in person, is key to developing strong and inclusive pinball communities worldwide.
Brian Woodard
Commissioner
Brian Woodard took over the Illini Pinball Association in 2005, and continues to serve as the association’s President. As IFPA Commissioner, Brian is responsible for implementing the policies set forth by the IFPA, recommending policy changes and action to the President and Vice President as appropriate, and acting as a liason between the player base and IFPA staff. Brian is also the ultimate authority in handling all rulings and malfunctions at any tournament directly run by the IFPA, including the IFPA World Pinball Championship.
The IFPA also has a staff of Country Directors that help local players with tournaments, rules or general questions. Please visit here to view them.
*Deceased
