This blog post is in response to Contribupendence Day as created by Jeff Blankenburg at Microsoft.  The idea behind Contribupendence day is to acknowledge 5 people you know that are respected, appreciated and talented and provide them with internet recommendations.  I chose LinkedIn as my social network conduit (only joining it last night).  The 5 people I chose are (in first name alpha order):

James Bender

"James is very exemplary in his knowledge of technology. I have seeked out his expertise (primarily surrounding WCF) when dealing with technical problems that I encounter in my work. James is always willing to contribute ideas and solutions, because of this he is very respected in the developer community"

Jennifer Marsman

"Jennifer has an infectious good energy surrounding technology. She is very motivated and always willing to go the extra mile. She is motivated by helping people and organizations to reach their goals. Jennifer is also an advocate for Women in Technology, and as such is an inspiration to us all. She is one of the smartest people I know, and a pleasure to work with."

Justin Kohnen

"Justin is a very driven individual. He is also responsible for helping organizing very successful technical events. He is known in the community to step up to the plate, and is a very good technical speaker (presenter)"

Matt Dinovo

"Matt is a born leader and teacher. When I had the opportunity to work with him, he opened my eyes to the inner workings of ASP.Net and the future direction of the .Net platform. He mentored me on many practical and important patterns and best practices which has benefitted me greatly in my career and in the developer community. Since working with him I have had a passion for all things .Net and much of this is due to some of his enthusiasm for technology rubbing off on me."

Michael Letterle

"I am lucky to have to opportunity to be in contact with Michael. We share similar interests in the IronRuby project on which he contributes. His passion for technology is contagious, and his knowledge is admirable. I also like the fact that he keeps me on my toes with regards to running the newest drops of the IronRuby project. Keep up the good work Michael, I look forward to your presentation at eRubyCon!"