The .ME Registry has teamed up with domain investor/developer Bruce Marler and his wife Tiffany in a non-profit partnership designed to boost the technological capacity of rural communities and spur the creation of new tech jobs. The Marlers got the ambitious project rolling by setting up Parkland Meetup and Parkland Programmers, two community-based special interest groups in Farmington, Missouri, designed to create a knowledge worker community there. When .ME heard about the effort they got onboard to provide free .ME domains to program participants.

Bruce & Tiffany Marler

.ME Marketing Director Natasa Djukanovic said, “We are all very proud to be involved with this project. The .ME team is heavily invested in online business growth and childhood tech education. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with a group that values and promotes both of these areas." 

The Marlers noted that while Farmington, Missouri, may be an an unexpected place for a tech hub with its population of less than 20,000, the culture is ripe for advancement. Bruce Marler said, "“We knew that there

were talented people here doing amazing work, but that their work wasn’t being maximized for profitability because there was little collaboration between professionals. The Parkland Meetup, a social networking and professional development group, was designed to address that challenge, creating a venue to connect business owners, entrepreneurs, and workers with tech skills.”  

Once the professionals came together for the first few events, it became clear that there was also a need to create a stronger knowledge base and venue for young people to explore technology and learn critical thinking.  Tiffany Marley said, "Professionals told us 

that one of the hardest challenges they faced was finding skilled and engaged workers. While we knew we could make inroads with the current workforce, we decided that the greatest long-term impact would come from current students – our workforce of the future.”  From that idea Parkland Programmers was born. 

Natasa Djukanovic, .ME Registry

“Our goal is to allow any child, rich or poor, to have the same opportunity to learn what programming is and to see what is possible, we want them to create things,” Bruce Marler said. “I really see this giving opportunities to kids that otherwise would have never known they existed.”  

Ms. Djukanovic noted, “The .ME Registry is proud to support this kind of enthusiastic energy in America, just as we’re doing in Montenegro." (Montenegro is the nation that administers the .ME TLD). Both programs are operating in conjunction with the Farmington Regional Community Foundation, a 501(c)3 foundation which will serve as the nonprofit partner to accept donations of money and equipment on behalf of the programs.