About: The Microsoft MVP Program

Last year, Channel 9 began publishing a series on the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Program. The first three podcasts were published in June and July. Although the fourth has been ready and waiting for well over six months, it was finally published this week.

This last in the series is rather bitter-sweet. It is an interview of Sean O'Driscoll as a General Manager for Community Support and the MVP Program at Microsoft. As it turns out, Toby Richards has since assumed that position as Sean transitions to life outside Microsoft (See 15 years at Microsoft, coming to an end…mixed emotions).

The list of the complete series is provided here, with this last presentation very timely with the MVP Global Summit scheduled for next week. The MVP Global Summit is an event where Microsoft MVPs from around the world gather in Redmond technical sessions, meet with Microsoft executives, product teams, and perhaps most rewarding, meet their peers who they may know only by name or from working together on various forums.

Personally, I shall be watching Part 1 again now that Brian Boston is my MVP Lead.

The MVP Program In-Depth:

"The next 4 podcasts will focus on the ins and outs of the MVP program. Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) are exceptional technical community leaders from around the world who are awarded for voluntarily sharing their high quality, real world expertise in offline and online technical communities."

Tune in to the podcasts:

• The Voice of Support - Show 12: The MVP Program In-Depth (Part 1 of 4).
  Ed Hickey and Brian Boston, who are both MVP leads @ Microsoft, give an overview of the program.
  

• The Voice of Support - Show 13: The MVP Program In-Depth (Part 2 of 4)
  April Spence and Ben Miller, MVP leads @ Microsoft, talk about where MVPs can be found and the MVP site.
  
  
• The Voice of Support - Show 14: The MVP Program In-Depth (Part 3 of 4)
  April Spence and Mike Fosmire, MVP leads @ Microsoft, provide some details on what the "MVP awards" are all about - and what kinds of events do Microsoft organizes for the program.

• Sean O'Driscoll: General Manager for Community Support and the MVP Program

"Sean O'Driscoll, a General Manager for Community Support and the MVP Program at Microsoft, is interviewed by Ken Levy discussing the history, current state, and future of Microsoft MVPs and the MVP Program. For the past 5 years, Sean has been responsible for the MVP Program which now includes about 4,000 MVPs worldwide. Microsoft MVPs (Most Valuable Professionals) are a select group of experts representing technology's best and brightest people who share a commitment to community. For more information about the MVP Program, refer to http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/."

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...