Today I am very excited to announce a program unprecedented in Open Source, the DotNetNuke Peer Esteem Grant program (“PEG”) for 2009, which recognizes extraordinary contribution to DotNetNuke adoption and success. The Peer Esteem Grant is something that the co-founders (Shaun, Joe, Nik and I) have been looking forward to since we first established DotNetNuke Corporation almost 3 years ago. We knew at that time that we wanted to be able to share ownership with those who had contributed to the growth and success of DotNetNuke, to enable them to also share in its future success. And we are grateful to our management, investors and Board of Directors who join us in steadfast commitment to the abundance mentality this program demonstrates.
PEG is a completely team-driven program that grants options in DotNetNuke Corporation to those most deserving in the estimation of their peers. That’s right; the awardees were selected solely by past and current team members, without intervention or bias. Seventy-one eligible participants rated one another for overall contribution identifying 20 awardees from 7 countries for 2009. Eligibility included all former team members and project leads who managed a team through at least one successful release. Employees were ineligible to receive the award.
The PEG program is special. We are not aware of any private company that has ever done anything quite like it. While giving away options in a public company is reasonably straightforward, giving away non-employee options while a company is still private is more complicated. It is complicated further still by the need to consider grants in as many as 13 different countries, each with its own securities and exchange law. But at DotNetNuke Corporation we are committed not only to the success of our products and customers, but also to the abundance mentality and open source ideals upon which the company was founded.
PEG Awardees will be invited to work with DotNetNuke Corporation in a Community Advisory Board capacity for two years. Final preparations are being made on required documentation and legal necessities, with official formation of the board scheduled to occur before the end of this year.
DotNetNuke has been and will continue to be successful because of the contribution and enthusiastic adoption and support of community members. It is my privilege to recognize the following people, in no particular order, for their outstanding contribution to DotNetNuke. Thank you.
Michael Washington
Philip Beadle
Stefan Cullmann
Vicenç Masanas
Steve Fabian
Chris Hammond
Sebastian Leupold
Chris Paterra
Scott McCulloch
Lorraine Young
Geert Veenstra
Mitch Sellers
Nina Meiers
Alex Shirley
Erik van Ballegoij
Tam Tran Minh
Jon Henning
Dan Caron
Bruce Hopkins
John Mitchell