Awarded for a 2nd year as a Microsoft MVP (Thank you!)

On July 1st I had the great pleasure of being awarded for a second year as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP). It is truly a great honor to be awarded for another year.

I want to give a special shout out to everyone who supports this blog. Your comments, your follows, your likes and your shares–they have all got me to this point. Thank you.

I would like to offer special thanks to my family, friends, colleagues, and employer. Thank you for your continued support and for challenging me to the best I can be.

For me, the MVP program grants two fantastic benefits.

The first is being able to interact directly with the Microsoft product groups. Similar to the Technology Adoption Program (TAP), MVPs get early access to the latest software builds. Not only does this allow us to discover new features but it also provides a forum for feedback and feature requests. As an MVP you get to help shape Microsoft products and services.

The second benefit is being able to collaborate with MVPs from all across the globe. I have had the great pleasure of becoming friends with MVPs from many different countries and cultures. It is truly an amazing experience.

Changes to the MVP program

In prior years MVPs were awarded on a quarterly cycle. I was a July awardee so my first renewal came up July 1st. It was definitely an anxious day with fingers crossed, to say the least. However, this July many more MVPs were up for renewal as Microsoft moved its April awardees into the July cycle. Microsoft’s goal is that every MVP’s award cycle will end in July. The October and January awardees will be pushed into the July 2018 award cycle.

This is not to say that there will only be a single award date going forward. While July 1st is a crucial date for existing MVPs, brand new MVPs are being awarded on a monthly basis. So, there are now 12 opportunities to become an MVP versus 4. If you would like to nominate someone for the MVP award, including yourself, check this link.

For a fantastic breakdown of the number of MVPs by award category and country, check out this post from MVP Michel de Rooij.