Event Location:
SUNY Albany
1400 Washington Ave
Albany, New York
Abstract:
Networking. You keep hearing that word throughout your career development, but you don’t know much about it, much less, how to do it. You want to connect with technical and data professionals, so you attend events such as SQL Saturday and your local user group. But what about your book club, your gym, your church group, or your kid’s soccer game? Those are prime — and overlooked — opportunities to network! In this interactive session, we will discuss networking — what it is, why it’s important, and where opportunities exist. You will even have an opportunity to practice networking within the confines of our room. You might even leave this session with new networking contacts that you didn’t previously have! Bring business cards if you have them!
Speaker(s): Ray Kim,
Abstract:
Developers and DBAs have had a long, sometimes strained relationship. Some developers see DBAs as roadblocks standing in the way of getting their work shipped; some DBAs see developers as agents of chaos bent on ruining their perfect database environments. In this talk designed for application and database developers, we’ll talk about why SQL Server behaves the way it does, common database and query design pain points, and how we look for them. With real-world examples and tales of troublesome T-SQL, past and present, you’ll start to get a picture of what to do and not to do in your applications. Along the way, you’ll learn how to build a better relationship with both SQL Server and the DBAs responsible for it.
Speaker(s): Andy Levy,
Abstract:
You've been given an awful task of comparing two of the most prominent cloud vendors. What would you do? Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure are two of the biggest names in public cloud computing. Which one is right for you? To help you make that decision, let’s talk about what each provider brings to the public cloud table, and key differences between them. We will look into the following aspects and more: - Computer Power - Storage - Network - Pricing Models - Support Plans - Integration and Open Source - Database - Big Data - Containers and Orchestration Support - Compliance - User-friendliness - Licensing - Intelligence - IoT - Management and Monitoring - Mobile Services - Security - Developer Tools - Hybrid Cloud Capabilities
Speaker(s): Paresh Motiwala,
Abstract:
Abstract: Many corporations are composed of small divisions located in countries throughout the world. While you might be the lead DBA for your corporation, there are several other employees who have the keys to the kingdom. This presentation will review techniques on how to prevent and/or audit data and schema changes. Coverage: 1 – Granting correct user access is vital. 2 – DML triggers to keep a DATA audit trail. 3 – DDL triggers to keep a SCHEMA audit trail. 4 – Preventing unwanted DATA modifications. 5 – Preventing unwanted SCHEMA changes. 6 – Preventing table TRUNCATIONS. 7 – LOGIN triggers to control who, what, and when. 8 – Change data capture (CDC) an alternative to triggers. 9 - Which of these techniques apply to an Azure SQL database?
Speaker(s): John Miner,
Abstract:
Kusto is a service for storing and running interactive analytics over Big Data, easy to query using Kusto Query Language (KQL). As we make progress in our migration to the cloud, we are learning new ways to monitor and alert on resources and services. Microsoft has consolidated many services under the umbrella of ‘Azure Monitor.’ Whether you are ‘detecting and diagnose issues across applications,’ ‘correlate infrastructure issues for VMs,’ ‘drill into your SQL database monitoring data with Log Analytics,’ you will be using ‘Azure Monitor.’ Azure Monitor uses a version of the KQL that is suitable for simple log queries but also includes advanced functionality such as aggregations, joins, and smart analytics. Going forward, KQL must be your primary resource for querying the Azure Monitor log. In this 95% demo session, I will show you some ‘getting started’ tips and a few sophisticated queries using KQL. Come and learn about the future of monitoring and investigations of Azure services.
Speaker(s): Taiob Ali,
Abstract:
We, as data professionals, are dealing with increasingly large amounts of data. And, increasingly, we're asked to generate insights from this data. For that, the relationships between data points matter more than simple aggregations of individual data points. In our interconnected world, interconnected businesses, interconnected applications, graph databases lend themselves to answering relationship questions far more easily than...relational databases. In this session we'll look at graph databases for how to model graph databases how to easily express relationships between interconnected data how to efficiently retrieve interrelated data We'll look at the MATCH predicate in T-SQL and the MATCH statement in Cypher, the query language for Neo4j.
Speaker(s): Kevin Mackey,
Abstract:
Have you been hearing about SQL Notebooks in Azure Data Studio but haven't worked with them yet? Or have you played around with notebooks but not been able to figure out how to make them work for you? Let's jump into SQL Notebooks together as we figure out how we can use them in our day-to-day work! We will start by looking at the different options that are available to us in SQL Notebooks. Then we will examine real world scenarios and create notebooks for them. Finally, we will learn how we can share the notebooks with our coworkers. When you leave, you will have the practical knowledge and comfort level to use SQL Notebooks in your day-to-day work.
Speaker(s): Deborah Melkin,
Abstract:
Modern CPU architectures are complex and misunderstood, especially as they relate to SQL Server instance configuration and database usage patterns. Default values in virtualization and the SQL Server instance can cause misalignments and improper balance in the way the SQL Server lines up with the CPUs and memory, which results in an immediate (and silent) performance penalty. Come learn as we discuss topics such as physical and virtual NUMA, hyperthreading, query parallelism, public cloud CPU selection, and SQL Server instance settings, and show you how to validate your SQL Server architecture and improve the performance of your critical SQL Servers for both on-prem and cloud-based SQL Servers.
Speaker(s): David Klee,
Abstract:
Come see Microsoft's Power tools demonstrated for advanced analytics and hear about Microsoft's embrace of Open Source and the Hadoop platform. We'll also present on Microsoft's tools for handling Big Data, such as the Parallel Data Warehouse and HDInsights.
Speaker(s): David Patrick,
Abstract:
Adoption of Cloud is at an all time high, with no end in sight. Managing a small fleet of databases on-premises was something you used to understand. In this session, we'll cover the 10 most common tasks a DBA needs to learn to manage in Azure SQL as well as they currently manage their On Prem installs. One of the great things about Azure SQL is that the skill set your team has developed over the years translates well. The tools and technologies you're familiar with are all there. So much is the same but some of the tasks that DBAs do are different.
Speaker(s): Rie Irish,
Abstract:
So you've decided to take the leap into presenting. Maybe it's at your local user group, maybe it's at SQL Saturday. This talk will guide you through the process of selecting a topic, preparing for it and actually giving it. We'll talk about what can go wrong and how to handle that. We'll also talk about what can be done to prevent something from going wrong in the first place. What are some good guidelines to follow and when can, or even should, you break them. This will be partly interactive so come with questions and be prepared to be asked some.
Speaker(s): Greg Moore,
Abstract:
SQL Server 2019 is a modern data platform designed to meet the current challenges of data professionals. We will review the new functionalities related to Performance, Security and High Availability
Speaker(s): Javier Villegas,
Abstract:
Five fast-paced 10-minutes-or-less sessions on a variety of topics: Paresh Motiwala: Exploring Azure Data Studio Thomas Grohser: New in SQL Server 2019: Persistent Memory John Miner: Don't Lose Your Integrity - Talking about Constraints Sunil Kadimdiwan: Plotting Graph DB in Power BI Andy Yun: How to Utilize Index Tipping Point Data in Plan Explorer
Speaker(s): Paresh Motiwala,
Abstract:
Power BI usage and report development is quite simple to get started. You can produce fantastic reports in a relatively short amount of time. How about extending the available functionality? How to achieve consistent look and feel? These are important topics, as we get deeper into creating more than couple of views and PBIX files. In this session, I will show you how you can database queries, custom theme files, custom visuals, parameters and other techniques to make your development efforts easier and keep your users happier.
Speaker(s): Sunil Kadimdiwan,
Abstract:
The data lake has become extremely popular, but there is still confusion on how it should be used. In this presentation I will cover common big data architectures that use the data lake, the characteristics and benefits of a data lake, and how it works in conjunction with a relational data warehouse. Then I’ll go into details on using Azure Data Lake Store Gen2 as your data lake, and various typical use cases of the data lake. As a bonus I’ll talk about how to organize a data lake and discuss the various products that can be used in a modern data warehouse.
Speaker(s): James Serra,
Abstract:
In this case study, I detail how I went about designing and implementing a Speaker Database for the Project Management Institute using SharePoint, Power Automate, Power Apps, and Microsoft Forms. We will do a brief intro of what each technology is and it's pros and cons, and then dive into what I learned about each, each strengths and weaknesses, and how I was able to build a functional Speaker Database.
Speaker(s): Sarah Patrick,
Abstract:
As with all other items in your toolbox the datacenter (local or in the cloud) needs to be used correctly. This session will show the various types and sizes of workloads, show you how to categorize them, look at the requirements of your SLA (Service Level Agreement), and find the right location (cloud, datacenter, hybrid) for the data. To wrap things up, we look at ways to validate that the SLA can be fulfilled and how to estimate and compare the costs.
Speaker(s): Thomas Grohser,
Abstract:
No, they don't have anything to do with the operating by the same name. Instead, window functions allow us to calculate a single value based on a set of rows, and we have extraordinary control over which rows get used as the inputs. We'll start by covering what a window function is and will discuss the syntax and usage of the OVER clause in detail. We will also cover the three classes of window functions (ranking, aggregate and analytic) with focus on some commonly used functions as well some "gotchas" with some of these functions. You will learn how this class of functions can help you write more performant code.
Speaker(s): Brian Hansen,
Abstract:
In this session, Belinda will build a Power Automate flow. She’ll then build a Power App that uses that flow. Finally, she’ll add the Power App to a Power BI Report. This is a real use case. See the whole enchilada being built, in less than 1 hour. Who should attend this session? • If you have never built a Power Automate flow, this session is for you. • If you have never built a Power App, this session is for you. • If you are struggling with use cases for these cool products, this session is for you.
Speaker(s): Belinda Allen,
Abstract:
Do you write T-SQL for a living and want to improve its performance? Do you wish your 3rd party vendor code would magically go faster? Then you need to learn about Intelligent Query Processing in SQL Server 2019. This collection of new features is a game changer that will improve performance across the board. Come to this overview session to learn more about how these capabilities will benefit you.
Speaker(s): Andy Yun,
Abstract:
As we all know, SQL Server loves memory and will use as much as it can get. However, when there is memory pressure we need to use our DBA skills to identify what is causing the pressure. During this session we will explore how SQL Server uses memory and how to properly configure memory settings. We will discuss the use of DMVs and other tools to help us find what is consuming the most memory and some potential solutions.
Speaker(s): Dave Bland,
Abstract:
SQL Server is the world’s leading operational database. Today 98 of the Fortune 100 companies use it to power their mission critical applications across all verticals. In this session, we start by showing the latest features in SQL Server 2019 including an introduction to the analytics features in SQL Server big data clusters. Then we will talk about how Azure SQL offers limitless database using hyperscale, industry leading TCO and how customers can run our data services within their own datacenter using Azure Arc. We also show how SQL running on edge devices is enabling new types of IoT applications by moving 70% of computation to the edge.
Speaker(s): Amit Banerjee,
Abstract:
Most IT departments are stretched thin and do not usually have the opportunity to fully investigate the true needs of the database infrastructure. In this session, we will cover a number of aspects that will help the SQL DBA have informed conversations with IT in order to ensure that better decisions are made when it comes to compute and storage hardware in order to deliver improved performance and reduced licensing cost. This session will also cover some options that the DBA can investigate if they have been handed hardware that is not quite up to par.
Speaker(s): Matt Slocum,
This is a list of speakers from the XML Guidebook records. The details and URLs were valid at the time of the event.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdmoore
Contact: https://blog.greenms.com
Greg Moore is a graduate of RPI. There, he majored in CompSci, but probably spent as much time hiking, canoeing, caving and rock-climbing as he did studying. He started working with SQL Server 4.21a in 1995 and has survived numerous upgrades. He's been a Director and later VP of IT at several startups including PowerOne Media, TownNews and Traffiq and now consults. These days, when he's not busy with playing with SQL Server or spending time with his family, he can often be found underground caving or teaching cave rescue with the NCRC. While his focus is on the operations side of DBA, his interests include DR, performance and general IT problem solving. He is the author of: IT Disaster Response: Lessons Learned in the Field.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pareshmotiwala
Paresh Motiwala a Azure/Big Data enthusiast, Manager of Database Platform teams has led several large SQL implementations, migrations and upgrades. He has managed multi terabyte OLTP databases. He has also been a Sr. SQL DBA and a Solutions Architect in Fortune 100 companies. He helps/organizes and speaks at many SQL Saturdays, Azure Bootcamp, Azure Datafests and User Groups(Boston BI UG, NESQL, PASS PD VG and PASS DBA VG). He is certified in Big Data Analytics, FinTech, PMP, Public Speaking, Business Communications. He is a avid singer, cook, open networker, and stand-up comedian. He teaches public speaking, debating, interviewing and group discussion skills and mentors children around the globe via www.circlesofgrowth.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-melkin-5ba4244
Contact: http://debthedba.wordpress.com
Deborah Melkin has been working as a database professional with SQL Server for almost 20 years. She spends her days helping programmers with all aspects of database design, queries, performance, and deployment. In 2016, she began her blog, Deb the DBA. Soon after that, she began speaking at SQL Saturdays and user groups. Deborah is a board member of the New England SQL Server User group (NESQL) and was recently named as an IDERA ACE Class of 2020. She also won Speaker Idol at PASS Summit 2019. In her spare time, Deborah can usually be found doing something musical.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/matt-slocum/5/251/709
Contact: http://www.sqlmatt.com
Husband, Father, and certifiable...I mean certified MCSE: SQL Data Platform. I manage lots of DBs on SQL 7-2017. I specialize in database hardware, SQL replication, and performance troubleshooting. I also love space, technology Japanese culture.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlworldwide
Contact: http://www.sqlworldwide.com
Taiob Ali, MVP Data Platform, is an accomplished technical leader with a proven record of success. For 14 years, he has worked with the Microsoft Data Platform and MongoDB both on-premise and cloud. His experience includes all three major business sectors: finance, e-commerce, and healthcare. Taiob has hands-on experience in managing large database projects, massive data migration, intricate process design, testing and deployment, performance tuning, long term capacity planning. Taiob is currently working at “GMO LLC” as a Database Solution Manager, focusing on cloud migration, automation, improving, and streamlining operational workflow. He is a regular speaker at local and virtual PASS chapters, SQL Saturdays, and Azure conferences.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidaklee
Contact: http://davidklee.net
David Klee is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and VMware vExpert with a lifelong passion for technology. David spends his days focusing on the convergence of data and infrastructure as the Founder of Heraflux Technologies. His areas of expertise include cloud, virtualization, performance, and business continuity. David speaks at a number of national and regional technology related events, including PASS Summit, VMware VMworld, SQLBits, SQL Saturday events, and many SQL Server User Groups.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlworldwide
Contact: http://www.sqlworldwide.com
Taiob Ali, MVP Data Platform, is an accomplished technical leader with a proven record of success. For 14 years, he has worked with the Microsoft Data Platform and MongoDB both on-premise and cloud. His experience includes all three major business sectors: finance, e-commerce, and healthcare. Taiob has hands-on experience in managing large database projects, massive data migration, intricate process design, testing and deployment, performance tuning, long term capacity planning. Taiob is currently working at “GMO LLC” as a Database Solution Manager, focusing on cloud migration, automation, improving, and streamlining operational workflow. He is a regular speaker at local and virtual PASS chapters, SQL Saturdays, and Azure conferences.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinjmackey/
Contact: https://kjmackey.wordpress.com
Kevin a software architect with a track record of creative and effective delivery of results for organizations who want to translate data into information. With a background as a trainer Kevin can explain complex technologies and concepts in easy to understand language. By the same token, he can take complex business problems and express them in terms technology teams can use to derive solutions. Kevin has a focus on automation of data movement, analysis, information delivery, and of the code to accomplish this.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahepatrick/
Sarah has presented at several TechGirlz workshops for the Boys and Girls Club of Harford County, as an advocate for women in STEM. Sarah graduated from the Science and Mathematics Academy in Aberdeen, MD in May 2018, where she presented her senior capstone project "Engineering peer credibility via mastery of roles," where she designed roles for an ad hoc team. She worked with an army professional from CERDEC. She is currently attending the University of Maryland - College Park to major in Information Science. Sarah completed an internship with the Project Management Institute, helping them with their Professional Development Event, and worked as at the SharePoint Intern at Smithsonian Institution’s Office of the Chief Information Officer.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rie-irish/2/34a/78/
Rie lives with her family just north of Atlanta, Georgia. She worked as a SQL Server DBA, manager director for over 20 years. She's worked in many industries including the non-profit sector, education, big pharma, and e-commerce. She was awarded the MVP in the Data Platform 3 times beginning in 2017 and gave that up to accept her role as a Senior Program Manager with Microsoft in 2019. She is very involved with the Atlanta MDF User Group, SQL Saturday Atlanta and is co-leader of the PASS Women in Tech virtual group.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasgrohser/
Thomas Grohser has spent most of the past 26+ years exploring the deeper inner workings of SQL Server and its features while working for entertainment, pharmaceutical, and financial services industries. His primary focus is to architect, plan, build, and operate reliable, highly available, secure, and scalable infrastructures for SQL Server. Over the years he has managed thousands of SQL Server instances, processing trillions of rows, taking up petabytes of storage. Thomas has been a Microsoft Data Platform MVP for 9 years and has spoken regularly at conferences, SQLSaturdays, and user groups for 12 years.
Contact: http://www.tf3604.com
Brian is a database administrator at Children International in Kansas City. He has been working with SQL Server technologies since 1998, including roles in report development, application development and database administration.
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/alevyinroc
Contact: https://flxsql.com
Andy is a database administrator, PowerShell fan, former developer, Open Source contributor, SQL Saturday organizer and user group leader. He’s worn a number of IT hats since 1999 before landing in database administration, including web server administration and development, systems integration, and database development. When he isn’t picking queries apart and wrangling an unruly herd of databases, he can be found helping out with his son’s Boy Scout troop, making BBQ ribs for his daughter, or planning the next family vacation with his wife.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sqlbek
Contact: http://sqlbek.wordpress.com
Andy Yun is a SentryOne Principal Solutions Engineer and a former Microsoft MVP. He has been working with SQL Server for nearly 20 years as both a Database Developer and Administrator. Leveraging knowledge of SQL Server Internals and extensive experience in highly transactional environments, he strives to make T-SQL leaner and meaner. Andy is extremely passionate about passing knowledge onto others, regularly speaking at User Groups, SQL Saturdays, and PASS Summit. Andy is a co-founder of the Chicago SQL Association, co-Chapter Leader of the Chicago Suburban User Group, and part of the Chicago SQL Saturday Organizing Committee.
LinkedIn: http://in.linkedin.com/pub/amit-banerjee/20/64a/852
Contact: http://www.troubleshootingsql.com
I am a data professional with over a decade of experience in Relational Database Management Systems. I lead Program Management for the SQL Server engineering team focusing on the SQL Server database engine (Windows and Linux) and Azure SQL Edge. My past experiences include Program Management for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (HADR), Data Movement and Performance for SQL Server, Azure Database for PostgreSQL and Azure Database for MySQL. I am an active blogger, co-author of Pro SQL Server on Microsoft Azure and Professional SQL Server 2012: Internals and Troubleshooting and a regular speaker at various community events like Microsoft Ignite, SQL PASS, TechEd, Virtual Tech Days, SQL Saturday and User Group meetin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-bland-sql-server
Contact: https://www.davebland.com
Over 20 years of SQL Server experience that includes being a DBA, BI development and Application development using VB.NET. Dave currently is the Manager of the DBA team at Stericycle. Dave is a Friend of Red-Gate for 2019. He is a frequent presenter at SQL Saturday events and user groups around the country. Has been teaching SQL Server since version 2000 and is the SQL Server instructor at Harper College in Palatine, IL. Current certifications include: • Microsoft Certified Trainer • MCTS: SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance • MCTS: SQL Server 2008, BI Development and Maintenance • MCSA: SQL Server 2008 • MCSA: SQL Server 2016 • MCSE: SQL Server 2016 - BI • MCDBA: SQL Server 2000 • MCSD • MCSE: Data Management and Analytics
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunilkadimdiwan
Contact: http://www.infotrove.com/events.html
Sunil Kadimdiwan Sunil Kadimdiwan has 25+ years’ experience in architecting and implementing database solutions. He has deep knowledge of the Microsoft SQL Server and Business Intelligence technology stack. He is a frequent speaker at SQL Saturdays, Code Camps, User Group meetings
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minerjohn/
Contact: https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlserverauthor/154/john-miner/
John Miner is currently a Data Architect at BlueMetal advising corporations on how to solve their business needs with data platform solutions. He has over twenty five years of data processing experience, and his architecture expertise encompasses all phases of the software project life cycle, including design, development, implementation, and maintenance of systems. He has an undergraduate and graduate degrees in Computer Science from the University of Rhode Island. Other credentials include an up to date MCSE certificate and currently taking the Data Science program from EDX. Before joining BlueMetal, John won the Data Platform MVP award in 2014 and 2015 for his outstanding contributions to the SQL Server community.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JamesSerra
Contact: http://www.JamesSerra.com
James Serra is a big data and data warehousing solution architect at Microsoft. He is a thought leader in the use and application of Big Data and advanced analytics. Previously, James was an independent consultant working as a Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence architect and developer. He is a prior SQL Server MVP with over 35 years of IT experience. James is a popular blogger (JamesSerra.com) and speaker. He is the author of the book “Reporting with Microsoft SQL Server 2012”.
LinkedIn: https://ar.linkedin.com/in/javiervillegas
Contact: http://sql-javier-villegas.blogspot.com.ar/
Javier Villegas is a Database Administrator Manager for Mediterranean Shipping Company. Javier has more than 20 years working with SQL Server on every version from 6.5 to SQL Server 2019, Including SQL Azure Database and SQL Azure Managed Instance. His specialization is Administration, Performance Tuning and High Availability. He is a Microsoft MVP in Data Platform. Javier is a frequent speaker in conferences and events such as SQL Saturday , PASS Virtual Groups, 24 Hours SQL PASS , vOpen(NetConf), GroupBy and DataPlatformGeeks. @sqlargentina
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pareshmotiwala
Paresh Motiwala a Azure/Big Data enthusiast, Manager of Database Platform teams has led several large SQL implementations, migrations and upgrades. He has managed multi terabyte OLTP databases. He has also been a Sr. SQL DBA and a Solutions Architect in Fortune 100 companies. He helps/organizes and speaks at many SQL Saturdays, Azure Bootcamp, Azure Datafests and User Groups(Boston BI UG, NESQL, PASS PD VG and PASS DBA VG). He is certified in Big Data Analytics, FinTech, PMP, Public Speaking, Business Communications. He is a avid singer, cook, open networker, and stand-up comedian. He teaches public speaking, debating, interviewing and group discussion skills and mentors children around the globe via www.circlesofgrowth.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/bryancafferky
Contact: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bryancutube256123
Bryan Cafferky is a Big Data and AI consultant. Bryan was previously a Senior Data Science Training Content Developer for Microsoft Worldwide Learning. Prior to this he was a Microsoft Data and AI Enabler for healthcare customers. He is a Microsoft 2017 Data Platform MVP and a 2016 Cloud and Data Center Management MVP. Bryan is the author of Pro PowerShell for Database Developers by Apress, available on Amazon. He leads The RI Microsoft BI User Group, and The Greater Boston Area Data Science Group. He has been working with the SQL Server stack since 1997 and implemented projects in the banking, insurance, e-commerce, utility, and health care industries. He holds a bachelor of science in computer information systems and an MBA.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidepatrick
Contact: http://www.madsharepoint.com
Dave has been developing database applications for over 25 years. An MCT since 2001, he has taught many classes from Intro to Visual Interdev to Advanced SharePoint Development. Dave runs two user groups, the Maryland and Pennsylvania Microsoft Developers User Group, www.mapamdug.com, and MAD SharePoint, www.madsharepoint.com. Dave does SharePoint training and development for DSA, Inc., a DoD contractor that does great work for the Army over at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Dave is also an MVP.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msbelindaallen/
Contact: http://www.BIBelinda.com
Belinda Allen is a (Power BI) Data Platform Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP). Belinda has just completed her second book, Building Dashboards with Microsoft Dynamics GP 2016 - Second Edition. Belinda is also an inaugural member of the Board of Advisors for PBIUG (Power BI User Group.) Belinda is also well known for her blog, www.BelindaTheGPcsi.com. On her blog, she shares really useful information about the product quickly and succinctly. With followers from all over the globe, she can share knowledge and achieve her mission: “To improve the lives and business success of my followers.”
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pianorayk
Contact: https://pianorayk.wordpress.com/
Ray Kim is an advocate for documentation and technical communication. He is a co-founder of the Albany, NY SQL group (CASSUG), a member of the AlbanyUX user group, and has spoken at numerous SQLSaturdays and at PASS Summit. He has worked various positions in technology, including as a developer, webmaster, analyst, technical writer, and instructor. He holds an MS in technical communication from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a BS in computer science from Syracuse University. A musician in his spare time, Ray plays four different instruments. He also enjoys going to ball games and doing CrossFit, and is a two-time SQLServerCentral.com fantasy football champion. He lives in Troy, NY with his wife, Lianne, and their two cats.
The following is a list of sponsors that helped fund the event.