Wow - Thanks, Microsoft!

It's taken me quite a few days to get around to writing this post (been busy preparing and delivering a new ASP.NET MVC presentation at the Richmond Code Camp last Saturday), but I received a great email last Wednesday welcoming me to a great community of Microsoft professionals, and beginning with this header:

I'm now a Microsoft MVP in ASP.NET!  Needless to say, as soon as I found out, I got crazy excited and began thinking of everyone who was so helpful in achieving this great award. 

The first two guys I needed to thank were Aaron Marisi and Todd Snyder.   These two have been - and continue to be - crucial in helping me run the NJDOTNET User Group.  With their help (and it was only possible with their help!) we have been able to expand this monthly meeting to a meeting every week, providing exponentially more value to the members of the group.  I am going to make it my mission from here on out to make sure these two guys get all the credit they deserve!

In a separate class altogether are Ambrose Little and Jason Beres.  It is these two guys that had the greatest impact on my professional and community life because it was the leadership, knowledge, and obvious passion that these two MVPs (and I mean that in every sense of the acronym) exhibit on a daily basis that inspired me to become so involved with the development community in the first place.  Were it not for them, I probably would still be sitting in the back of the monthly user group meetings, barely saying a word.  But, after working with them for only a short time, their selfless guidance and inspirational example were too much to ignore and I just had to join in and attempt to contribute even half as much as they do.  In fact, I attribute so much of my recent success to them that if I could (and if they didn't already have one!) I would give my award directly to them.

I can't even imagine how much more vibrant and exciting our community would be if there were more Aarons, Ambroses, Jasons, and Todds out there pushing things along.  I eternally grateful to be able to work with all of them and even call them my friends.

So, thank you everyone for all of your support and I am really looking forward to all of the great community participation in the coming year!