About John Deardurff

I’ve spent more than twenty-five years working at the intersection of data, education, and the Microsoft platform. The constant through all of it has been one simple passion: To educate and elevate people to get more out of their data.

Along the way, I’ve earned 66 Microsoft Certifications, passed 88 exams, and have been a Microsoft Certified Trainer since June 2000. For a decade, I had the honor of representing the United States as an MCT Regional Lead (2012–2022), supporting thousands of trainers and helping raise the bar for instructional excellence around the world. One of my proudest moments was being the recipient of the 2018 Enrique Lima Award for MCT Community Service.

I’ve also been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for Data Platform (2016–2018), which reflects my long-standing love for SQL Server and the data community. I continued to deepen those skills by earning the SQL Skills Blackbelt for SQL Server 2019.

My career has always blended hands-on technical work with teaching, writing, and community leadership. A few highlights:

New Horizons Top 25 Worldwide Technical Instructor in 2015 and 2016
Co‑Organizer for SQL Saturday Indianapolis (2015–2020)
PASS Summit Ambassador (2017–2019) and Speaker (2018)
Microsoft Ignite MCT Ambassador (2015–2021)
Guest speaker at 75+ SQL Saturday and Azure Data Community events across the U.S.

I’ve also contributed to SQL Server’s technical community through writing and content creation, including serving as a Technical Editor for Apress Publishing on both the SQL Server 2022 and SQL Server 2025 Query Performance Tuning books, while also creating video training content for them on T‑SQL Query Writing.

Before joining Microsoft, I spent nearly two decades helping IT professionals grow their careers through hands-on, practical instruction. Today, as a Senior Cloud Solution Architect, I help customers modernize their data estates and adopt Azure data services. At the core, whether I’m teaching, writing, or contributing to the community, my mission stays the same: Make data technology more accessible, more impactful, and more rewarding for everyone.

A much younger John earned the Eagle Scout award from the Boys Scout of America in 1986 and served in the Indiana Army National Guard from 1987 through 1993.

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