Every year it seems the IT world goes quiet during the holiday season. This is always a good time to refresh a blog site, upskill on new technologies, or maybe just win a fantasy football league! Below are some of the badges I was either honored or lucky to earn the last month of 2025.

This one was awarded by Microsoft due to the many SQL Server and Azure SQL workshops that I have provided continued support and improvements, specifically for SQL Server 2025. The actual badge states: Earners of this badge have gone above and beyond by not only innovating, executing, maintaining, and refining Value-Based Delivery (VBD) solutions, but also demonstrating the ability to lead and inspire. Contribution of the recipient has been pivotal in driving the overall success and long-term impact of the program.

This badge shows attendance of the SQL Skills AI Vector Search Essentials course. Attendees learned how to implement native vector search capabilities in SQL Server 2025 for semantic search operations. Topics include embedding generation, vector storage + indexing (using DiskANN), distance + search functions, and production deployment considerations including external model configuration.

Very honored to continue as a Microsoft Certified Trainer for the 26th Consecutive year. It has truly been a rewarding experience assisting tens of thousands of people on their learning journey.

But of course, the MOST important achievement of the year is winning the Fantasy Football championship! This follows also winning the Fantasy Baseball Championship! Which just goes to show, the I am very good at making data-driven decisions. 🌞