meet our staff

Jim is our lead driving instructor, and is also an instructor trainer. He is a retired Beverly Hills motorcycle cop with more personality than Eddie Murphy. Everyone loves him and his stories. He is an expert at teaching behind the wheel driver training. He has also taught Classroom Driver Education, and Traffic Violator School. But don't ask him about the vehicle code. He may be the only person in the state to have it memorized. He's a huge animal lover, so try not to hit any critters. 

 Barry is not only an instructor with us, but an instructor trainer. He spent most of his career with the United States Post Office where he was a member of the prestigious 1,000,000 mile club (1,000,000 miles with no accidents). His attention to detail and strong desire to do everything the right way is what has earned him the spot as an instructor trainer. He is also very friendly, laid back, and calm. You will learn a lot from him, and have a great time while learning. 

 John was born to teach. He is a behind the wheel driver training instructor as well as an instructor trainer. He was previously an extreme sports enthusiast and whitewater kayaking instructor. This job does not scare him. He has an extremely logical and methodical brain which makes him an incredible communicator. We have never seen anyone who can communicate concepts as clearly and concisely as he can.  

I am super excited  to be part of a great team. I am looking forward to and honored to be an  important part of young people’s futures.I  was born and raised in the Bay Area and have lived in Sonora for three  years. My career was in sales for a large company and after I retired  from there I got my Commercial Driver’s License and became an over the  road trucker for a few years…I drove an 18 wheeler back and forth across  the country and loved every minute of it! So have no FEAR!! I am a  professional driver!I  like to kayak, travel, hang with my kids and grandkids, volunteer for  different organizations and plan on taking a photography class at  Columbia Community College.

 Steve is a people person, and his call to become a driving  instructor with us was fueled by his desire to help others. He genuinely  wants to see you learn and grow as a driver, and have fun doing it.  Your success makes him happy and it’s why he loves this job! His degree  in Community Education, 12 years of customer service experience as a  restaurant manager, and passion for cars and driving, make him the great  instructor that he is. 

R.I.P Dan

Bye our beloved brother.  You are the reason we are in this business.   Until we meet again,

To ride Harleys in Heaven!

Dan has been a licensed driving instructor since 1988.  Yes this is a recent picture!  He doesn't seem to age.   He has owned two of his own driving schools, and consulted others on staring their own, including ours.  He also has spent 10 years of his career working as a counselor in a home for teens.   He Has a heart for helping people.  He knows what he is doing.  You will be in safe and capable hands.  In his off time, he likes spending time with his family, and riding his Harley.

Scott  is a retired agriculture teacher.  He  enjoys the opportunity to instruct beginning and veteran drivers life-long driving skills to make our lives safer on the public highways. Scott  has worked with FFA students for 30 years guiding and instructing them  about their agriculture projects and developing leadership skills with  public speaking and parliamentary procedure.  He has also taught traffic school in the North Coast area for those citizens that were ticketed for highway offenses.  His goal is to teach young drivers to stay focused on driving and not get distracted.

 Messina grew up in Santa Rosa, and has spent most of her career teaching in the community. She fell in love with driving the first time her parents took her out to the raceway to watch her grandfather race. When she is not chasing her dogs around the beach, she spends her free time reading and dancing. Messina is exited to work with all kinds of drivers to help build safe driving habits!

Jose has been driving since he was 19 years old and has not looked back! He’s worked across the U.S, and was a lead delivery driver, who trained numerous others for his prior profession. When teaching others, he utilizes patience, calmness, and understanding. Jose loves to write, illustrate, paint, and do graphic design on his days off. He is also a huge fan of comic books, movies, music, science fiction, and fantasy.   

Kory is a retired California Highway Patrol officer and former Emergency Medical Technician with over 21 years of emergency vehicle operation experience driving ambulances, patrol cars, and motorcycles. Kory maintains a calm demeanor no matter the situation. In his free time, he enjoys riding his motorcycle and spending time with his wife and daughter. 

 Ron has been driving since he was 14 years old.  Yes, 14  years old!  Ron’s parents owned a trucking company and sometimes Ron  would come to the rescue to help seasoned Semi Truck drivers back into  alleys in downtown Los Angeles.  He was 16 at the time.  Ron has taught  both his daughters and several family members how to drive.  He is  diligent in making sure the person is comfortable and feels safe.  Ron  is a family man, he has been married 36 years, has two beautiful  daughters, two son in laws and two handsome grandsons that are now his  everything.  He is a proud dad and Papa.  Ron has a love for SPORTS and  pretty much anything on ESPN.  His first love is football, ask him,  he’ll tell you. 

 Michael is a retired firefighter of 18 years from San Joaquin County. He  has 28 years of driving experience and during his career he got to live  every child’s dream of driving a Fire Truck and an Ambulance. Being in  public safety for 18 years the goal was to  serve the public and help make a difference in any situation. His goal  now is to help make that difference in the lives of new drivers and  teach the importance of developing good driving habits, safety and  responsibility while on the road. Not just for themselves,  but for others as well. Michael helped his four children learn how to  drive, so he is definitely ready for the challenge. He has a love for  acting, singing and is a member of a musical theater group. Also, Michael  and his wife of 20 years are HUGE RAIDERS FANS!   Overall they just love football and competing in Fantasy Football  together.  

Hi my name is Endy.   I was born and raised in Sonoma County. My goal here is to help those that I encounter elevate their driving skills and build lifelong habits. When I am not teaching, you can find me on the soccer field or spending time with my family.

**Spanish Speaker**

Joe claims to have logged more hours driving backwards than most have driving forward, as a result of his 35 year career in the sanitation business.  His safety awareness has earned him numerous safety awards. This, combined with his leadership skills, earned him the role of training many new commercial drivers over the years. 

Joe was born and raised in Marin County, and has a lifetime of driving on the very same roads were he will be teaching new drivers.  He is grateful for the instruction he received when he was a new driver, and is a firm believer in teaching the next generation of drivers how to drive safely.

When not at work, you can find Joe hanging out with his family, waterskiing, and cycling.

Jennifer is in love with being a driving instructor! She has a great insight on not just the rules of the road, but every skill needed to pass your driving test, and be a safe driver.  An instructor since 2018,  she has helped numerous teens, adults, and citizens new to the United States in getting their driver’s license. Jennifer’s patience and compassion is key in her teaching individuals how to be great, but most importantly, SAFE drivers. She continues to receive messages from past students; updating her on their driving progress, and thanking her for all her help.  Some even stay in touch just for her friendship and sense of humor.  Her favorite city to visit is San Francisco, but she loves the rollercoasters at any and all theme parks! 

 Hi, my name is Kevin. I grew up in the Bay Area & I’m a U.S. Army Veteran. My wife, two boys and I moved up to the Sacramento area in 2001. I spent most of my career working for a large travel company and have been all over the world and the States. I enjoy experiencing different places and really love meeting new people. 

My favorite things  in life are my family, church, my dog Marshall, cooking, eating, the gym, watching tv, sports, and the ocean.

 My goal is to teach people safe driving skills and have fun doing it

Norie is a father of four boys and a husband of a school educator/administrator.  He and his family moved from Hawaii to Stockton over 20 years ago and have remained in Stockton ever since. He raised his boys all in Stockton and successfully taught them the rules of the road and how to be good drivers.  Norie is an experienced coach, trainer, and mentor of people of all backgrounds.   Norie enjoys working with people and looks forward to helping people young and old with their goal of becoming a California licensed driver.

I am Amy and I love to drive. I especially love to drive manual cars! I started my career with another driving school in Lodi and have taught since 2016. Most kids appreciate my calm demeanor and my chill interactions with them. I try very much to not take things too seriously and make my students feel comfortable. What I enjoy most about instructing driving is meeting a variety of students and seeing them become confident on the road. When I’m not driving I am a Mom to two boys. I love working out and staying healthy. I’m all about laughter and positive thoughts.