[Andy Baker]

Dr. Joe is quite a guy and an inspiration to many of us.

When I first showed up at a FRC Regional, our pit was right next to team 47's. I saw this tall, energetic man whipping his team's pit into a frenzy between rounds, getting everyone on his team excited about competing at the highest level they could. It was intimidating. At this point, I knew that this was going to be a fierce competition and people were trying their hardest to win. This was in '98, when ChiefDelphi won 3 regionals. Their shadow was large.

Over the next few years, ChiefDelphi developed as a team. As Brandon mentioned in this thread, this site was created with much input from Joe. The next thing we know, Joe is pushing for "sharing of ideas" between teams. This was that competitive guy in the pits? naaa... that didn't make sense to me. How can you be so good... so competitive, and then want to push the idea of sharing designs? It took me a while to get it. Joe had a vision: he saw that if ALL teams get better, FIRST will grow and reach more kids. With this growth would come the "change in culture" that we want to make. Bingo... it clicked with me. Joe's vision to make FIRST robots better, more innovative, more capable, more INSPIRING has made an impact on FIRST like no other person. His vision was to not only compete as hard as he could, but also allow, enable, and inspire other teams to compete at this high level. Essentially, Joe has been the Pied Piper of inspiration, raising the level of play for all teams in FIRST.

Many people get credit for raising this level of play in FIRST. Many people get credit for sharing ideas, white papers, and designs that help other teams out. No one deserves more credit than Dr. Joe. He pushed it early, before it was cool. He inspired many of us to take this idea and run with it.

I can truly say that Joe has impacted my life in a way that is immeasureable. This energetic, competitive, compassionate guy has made me a better person and given me a means to make an impact in other people's life. He has challenged me to raise the level of play in FIRST, and supported me in doing risky things that keep FIRST moving in a positive direction.

Cheers to you, Joe Johnson, my hero.

Sincerely,
Andy Baker