I grew up in Akron, Ohio and graduated from high school with honors in 1971. I developed my mechanical aptitude while working in the automotive industry during my years in high school. After high school I joined the U.S. Air force and received professional mechanical training in aircraft maintenance. After leaving the military, I spent roughly 8 years working as an automotive repair technician. During that time I worked on completing an Associate’s degree in Automotive Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Trade and Industrial Education from Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University. I began teaching automotive courses at Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria and Manassas campuses in 1981. I left teaching in 1991 to attend graduate school at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. I received a Master’s degree in Industrial Sciences. I was hired in 1999 by DaimlerChrysler as a service training instructor for their training center in Denver, CO. In 2001 I was transferred to California to work in the Los Angles training center located in Ontario, CA. As a DaimlerChysler service training instructor I was provided proprietary technical training for all their automobile and light duty truck models. I was qualified to teach courses in all eight ASE certification areas. My major areas of concentration for DaimlerChrysler were automatic and manual transmissions, axles and differentials, engine repair, diesel, OBDII, steering and suspension, NVH, passive restraints, and Sprinter vans. I left Chrysler in 2008 after their bankruptcy and I began teaching automotive courses at Copper Mountain College in August of 2009. For over 13 years I have been lead faculty for the Automotive Program. During this time, I have updated all the course outlines, lab facilities and equipment. In addition I have brought the program up to standards required for ASE accreditation. I have added Hybrid/Electric and Alternative Fuel Vehicle courses to the program.
I’ve always had a passion for learning about things that I love and sharing that information with others. I have a highly developed mechanical aptitude and an expansive breadth of automotive knowledge that I look forward to sharing with you.
Also, I have a passion for motorcycling and I am a certified California Motorcycle Safety Program instructor. I have been teaching beginner and intermediate motorcycle rider safety courses part-time for the state of California since 2009.
