Certifications

Skilling Philosophy & Author Background

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In the technology industry, tradition is a fleeting comfort. Innovation is the only constant. I have lived through several seismic shifts in how we build and deploy software, and if thirty years in this field have taught me one thing, it is that the learning journey is the goal and the certification is the milestone along the way.

Since October 2012

Microsoft Certified Trainer

Being a Microsoft Certified Trainer remains one of the professional honors I value most. Helping educate and elevate others has always been a passion, because the best kind of skilling creates confidence, momentum, and opportunity. I continue to be an active member of the MCT community, helping others learn, grow, and stay in the learn-it-all mindset.

GrandMasters

Lead Item Writer

My passion for this journey eventually led me to the other side of the table. Working with GrandMasters, I have had the privilege of helping shape the certification path for others as the Lead Item Writer for the Microsoft C# and Windows Phone 7 exams. Those exams have since retired, and defining what competence looks like in a language as foundational as C# remains a highlight of my professional journey.

A Graveyard of Great Tech

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A look at my historical transcript reveals a “Who’s Who” of once-dominant technologies that have since faded into the digital sunset. At various points in my career, I was a Certified Lotus Notes & Lotus Domino Developer and a Certified Novell Administrator (CNA). At the time, these were the gold standards. Today, they are artifacts. Choosing to keep learning, rather than stopping at “knowing” those systems, is what carried my career forward.

Why I Keep Testing

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Certifications expire, and that is a feature worth embracing. The renewal process builds a learn-it-all discipline. Whether it is mastering agentic AI, deep-diving into the Model Context Protocol (MCP), or architecting Azure AI solutions, the badge is simply the receipt for the work put in to stay relevant.