2018 HGTV Ultimate Outdoor Awards Panel of Judges
From HGTV executives to award-winning landscape professionals, learn about this year's distinguished panel of judges that will select the Overall Winner of the 2018 HGTV Ultimate Outdoor Awards.
Matt Blashaw
Licensed contractor Matt Blashaw is everything you want in a versatile handyman and then some. Matt hosts HGTV’s Professional Grade in addition to DIY Network’s Money Hunters, Deconstruction and Project Xtreme.
Matt takes a fearless approach to home remodeling and says he’s never afraid to make mistakes. When he’s not sharing his expertise with DIY Network viewers, Matt works as a Realtor and develops and builds homes in Orange County. Read More
Mariel Clark
Mariel is the digital video and editorial director of the lifestyle brand websites for HGTV, Travel Channel, DIY Network and Great American Country.
Her favorite thing about her job is exploring and sharing the world’s most beautiful spaces and places. Mariel is a DIYer at heart and likes to tackle projects around her home. Read More
Beth Rucker
Beth is the managing editor for photography for the lifestyle brand websites for HGTV, Travel Channel, DIY Network and Great American Country. She enjoys curating beautiful home design and travel inspiration and telling the stories behind the photos you see.
In her free time, she enjoys puttering around her own home garden and landscaping and learning more about organic gardening practices. She is also working to restore her century-old bungalow home. Read More
Tom Ward, AIA and Mitch Blake, AIA
Designing buildings that acknowledges stewardship with the land is second nature to Tom Ward, and the green building movement represents a continuing force in his practice of environmentally specific architecture.
Mitch Blake developed a love for nature growing up on the banks of the Snake River in Idaho. Working on the family farms instilled an intimate connection with the land and a reverence toward the bio-climatic environment.
The two partnered to create Ward+Blake Architects in 1996, setting the stage for a symbiotic architectural practice dedicated to ecological principals and designing buildings that harmonize with their environment. Read More