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, elevate, and empower everyone to achieve more.

I have been a Microsoft Certified Trainer since June 2000, and along the way, earned 66 Microsoft Certifications. 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. One of my proudest moments was being the 2018 Enrique Lima Award recipient for MCT Community service that was voted on by my peers from around the world.

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
  • Microsoft IP Contribution Platinum Award (2023 – 2026)
  • Microsoft Delivery Excellence Builder Award (2025)
  • Microsoft Delivery Excellence Accelerator Award (2026)
  • Microsoft Top Marks Gold Award for Customer Satisfaction (2026)
  • 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.

Additionally, I contribute to the technical community through writing and content creation on my blog, SQLMCT.com. I have also served as a Technical Editor for Apress Publishing on both the SQL Server 2022 and SQL Server 2025 Query Performance Tuning books and have developed video training content for Apress focused 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.

MVP Alumni, Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), SQL Skills Blackbelt

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