Written by:
5/17/2010 

As more than one person has pointed out over the last couple of months (I am looking at you Chris, and Joe), I have had something of a “love affair” with the DotNetNuke® platform for quite some time.  In short, I do indeed love using it and showing others how they can use it to leverage their talents and resources.  In the technical industry, some might call me an amateur “evangelist” for DNN.  I would agree.  Heck, I have been speaking about it for several years now – sometimes even getting paid for it! 

Well, when you’re a kid in the US and some other countries, you might dream of going to Disney World.  It signifies everything in your life that’s fun and good when you’re that young.  (You can create your own parallel location if you weren’t one of those children.)  For such a child, it is the dream to finally go to the place where the Disney channel comes from, and the mouseketeers play and have fun.  You want to see where the magic happens and see the people that make it happen.  For me, as a much older child, my Disney World is the DotNetNuke® Corporation. 

When I first found out that DNN had an office in Seattle many years ago, I e-mailed Scott Willhite asking if he’d do a tour for me if I showed up.  He humored me, and told me to just let him know when I would be there and he would give me a tour.  Thanks, Scott!  :)  I had every intention of making that trip at some point, but never did.  This dream never died though…  I wanted to go to my Disney, and tell you all about it.

This vision resurfaced recently, but it was much more than I could have ever dreamed.  I was invited to the DNN Corp office in San Mateo, CA (near San Francisco)!  Though, it wasn’t just to take pictures and have a tour.  I was there to interview with a few members of DNN Corp.  It turned out to be much more than that though.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with some of the DNN Corp executives and to pick their brains about DNN Corp and their role in the community, in addition to participating in my scheduled interviews.  It was an amazing and eye-opening experience.  Everyone there, including Navin Nagiah, is very aware of the challenges that the community has, is, and will be facing.  They are genuinely concerned about these issues and challenges, and in ways that will in every way benefit all members of the DNN community.  It was so gratifying to have those conversations.  Truly. 

If you’re skeptical of DNN Corp and value my word at all, believe me when I say that very good things are coming to the DNN Community.

(FYI – The west coast DNN Corp office has since moved, so the pictures are already outdated.)

You’re Hired!

So, for the good news…  As of today, I am the newest employee of the DotNetNuke® Corporation!  That’s right, folks.  I will be joining the fine people in San Mateo beginning in July, which gives me enough time to take care of my personal affairs here in Orlando, FL.  Whew!  I said it at last!!!  You have no idea how hard this news was to keep in.  :D

If you didn’t pick up on it, that’s me moving from the east coast, to the west coast of the United States.  Most of you might be thinking such a move is a huge deal, and you’re right, but I am from California.  So, that makes it easier.  Also, I already know people and have family in San Francisco.  The family and I are picking up and moving in another month or so.

You might be asking what I will be doing at DNN Corp.  Well, I am not going to go into complete detail at this point.  I will save that for later, but I will tell you that I will be helping to support the Professional Edition of DotNetNuke®, though not as an engineer.  And if I didn’t have enough pressure, I am going to be taking over Nik Kalyani’s position.  Like I could ever fill his shoes…!  :)  Thought it’s super cool to be able to say that I work in the same company as notable people like Shaun Walker, Joe Brinkman, Charles Nurse, and more.  It’s great company to have.

I have no idea how to express to you how excited I am to work for DNN Corp!

Orlando DotNetNuke® Users Group (ODUG)

You will probably be having concerns about the ODUG.  After all, without a UG leader, a UG cannot survive.  That’s okay.  I will be announcing within 2 weeks who will be succeeding me as the leader of the Orlando DotNetNuke® Users Group.  It will survive and thrive well after I am gone.  Luckily, I have succeeded in helping give the ODUG its own legs.  Also, the ONETUG is already looking for a replacement for my Vice President position as well.  So, if you’re in the Orlando area and want to help out either user group as a board member, now is a perfect time to put your name in the hat!

Day of DotNetNuke® 2010

However, the biggest concern amongst nearly all of you is probably the future of the Day of DotNetNuke®.  Out of anything I have ever accomplished, this is easily the most popular and viral thing I have ever done.  I get requests almost daily about the upcoming Day of DotNetNuke® in Orlando, FL.  Please do not worry.  I will still be making sure that this event happens, and lives on in the Orlando area.  Though, as you may have noticed, the Day of DotNetNuke® is no longer in one place.  It can and will be held anywhere that a willing person wants to hold one.  For example, the next Day of DotNetNuke® is actually being held in Paris, France – called Day of DotNetNuke® Europe.  Anyhow, the planning of the Orlando event is just waiting on me to finalize the venue plans.  I apologize for the delays.

The Future of My Blog & Social Media Presence

I do not expect for there to be many changes to anything I currently do on my blog, twitter, or elsewhere.  I will just be living in a new home, and the From line on my paychecks will have a new name.  So, no worries there either.

My Consultancy

In what’s been a long time coming, I will be shutting down Strohl Site Design, and no longer consulting on the side.  It has been a great supplemental income, and nice pillow to lay my head on in the event that I found myself unemployed.  Though, I am going to focus more on family and exploring the great region of San Fransisco once we’re there.  However, this will have no impact on my open source efforts.  Those projects will continue to live, and should even get more attention.  Time will tell.

Thank You, Everyone

In closing, I would just like to say thank you to so many people.  I cannot express to each of you enough gratitude for all that you have done to help me.  Even if you think you haven’t, I can assure you that you have.  It is through each of the DNN community members that I have been able to stay motivated because all that I do is for you.  Without you, this blog wouldn’t even exist, much less any opportunities for me in the DNN world. 

Thank you to the DNN Corp for having enough faith in myself and my abilities to bring me aboard.  Thank you to the members of the ODUG for showing up every month, even if it was just to hang out.  Thank you for the members of the ONETUG for helping educate me in the ways of the code that I didn’t know.  Thank you to INETA, Microsoft, Ken Tucker, and Joe Healy for helping me grow as a community leader.  Thank you to Brian Scarbeau, Mike Webb and Dave Dyer for their support during the earliest days of the ODUG.  Thank you to the many prominent DNN community members who have inspired me and befriended me over the years.  People like Joe Brinkman, Nik Kalyani, and even (*gag*) Chris Hammond have been so much fun to deal with over the years.  Also, Ryan Morgan, Stan Schultes, and Darrell Hardy have been some of the greatest community members to work with, and I have been lucky enough to work with them all in the same area!  (There are many more, and you know who you are, but this post has to end some time.)

Thank you also to all of you who have help me along my career path too.  Guy Ledbetter was the first person to let me get my foot into the IT door, and it’s been a roller coaster ride of a lifetime to get to where I am today.  Since then, Bob Santuci has been such a great support person for my IT (and other) gripes, and I think I might be that support block for him too.  :)

Most of all, I have to thank my family.  Kim and the children have supported me so much over the years, enduring my obsession with DNN, and they deserve so much credit for it.  Thank you!  I love you all!

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