DrivingMBA Driving Instructors and Staff

Instructors

Kathleen Ryan – Beginner Program Lead Instructor Kathleen has 12 years of experience working with children and adolescents in a variety of settings including seven years in the public school system. She has experience in special education as well as working with cross categorical special needs students. Her goal is to individualize instruction to meet and support all students. She places a high emphasis on establishing rapport with students by creating a safe learning environment that facilitates the students’ learning process.  Kathleen has been with DrivingMBA since it’s inception.  She has been instrumental in developing programs and adaptations to programs to meet the needs of students and she is particularly adept at working with students with special needs.

Mike Gutierrez -  Lead On-Road Instructor & Beginner Program Mike was born and raised in Southern Ca. and relocated to Arizona about 20 years ago. He holds a BS in Business Admin. from Arizona State Univ. Mike spent a number of years in corporate management, working for such companies as Bank of America and Phoenix Newspapers. The past 13 years he owned and operated a commercial cleaning business. He has always had a passion for teaching and instructing, whether in his professional or private life. He is particularly adept at working with students with special needs. He has a wide variety of interests including singing and playing the guitar. He is married with four daughters and four grandchildren. Mike’s secret is that he really wanted to become a lawyer after reading the life of Clarence Darrow while in the 8th grade.

Joseph L. Byers – Advanced Program Instructor Joe received his B.S. degree in criminal justice from California State University at Los Angeles. He attended graduate courses in public administration at the University of Colorado in Denver. After two years in the U.S. Army as military policeman stationed abroad, he spent the next 28 years as a postal inspector with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Denver Colorado, Washington D.C. and Phoenix, Arizona. While living in Washington, D. C. he was an instructor for three years at the U.S. postal inspection service career development branch in Potomac, Maryland where newly appointed postal inspectors and postal police officers received basic law enforcement training. Joe was also responsible for establishing and supervising an internship program for Arizona State University students who did internships with the postal inspection service in Phoenix, Arizona.

Michael Colp – Advanced Program Instructor Mike is one of our Advanced Program instructors. Originally from Massachusetts, he moved to the valley in 1972. After high school he joined the US Army and eventually the Phoenix Air National Guard. While in the Air Guard, he was attached to the fire protection group. In this role he functioned as an instructor. While in this role he saw firsthand the importance training and preparedness make. He earned his BA from Arizona State University. Mike was a project manager for a large telecommunications company. Currently, he is working on his PMP certification. Upon hearing about DrivingMBA, he was convinced that this was the way to teach defensive driving. Mike believes that “for many new drivers this is their first “taste” of adulthood. Without the proper tools it might be their last”.

Art Eckstat – Beginner & Advanced Program Instructor Art is a retired automotive and aerospace engineer with multiple engineering and business degrees including an earned doctorate. Art has been teaching defensive driving classes for over 8 years in Arizona with the goal of making our roads safer for everyone. He joined DrivingMBA for the opportunity to further this goal by teaching and evaluating defensive driving techniques to both new and experienced drivers utilizing our state-of-the-art simulators. Art also serves as a consultant and expert witness in engineering, business, and product liability matters. He was honored as a Contributor to Aviation History at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in 1997.

John Leja – Advanced Program Instructor John joined DrivingMBA in November, 2006 as one of our Advanced Program instructors. John has extensive experience as a consultant in the computer software IT industry. After 33 years in the IT industry, he decided to change his career and obtained a commercial driver’s license and became a commercial truck driver. In 2005, John relocated to Mesa, Arizona and became a professional driving instructor certified by the Arizona Motor Vehicle Department for behind-the-wheel instruction, permit class instruction and driving skill testing. John joined DrivingMBA because he truly believes in the value of teaching defensive driving techniques to new drivers utilizing state-of-the-art simulators.

Janette Fogel – On-Road Program Lead Jan comes to DrivingMBA with many years of on-road instruction experience. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Physical Education and a Minor in Drivers Education. While growing up in a small town in Illinois she developed a passion for driving while taking many family trips across the USA. During college she taught Drivers Education to many local high school students and assisted in the development of the safety education program for motorcycle safety at the University of Illinois. During the mid 1980s Janette ran a satellite driving school in Humble, Texas teaching classroom and behind-the-wheel to high school students. She returned to Chicago, Illinois and taught on-road to students ranging in age from 16 to 65.  In early 1997 the Fogel family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where there were no freeways or major roadways to speak of. After raising her two children and learning that there was no drivers education program in the local school her passion for teaching safe driving was evident again. Both of her children received their simulator training from DrivingMBA and drove for over 100 hours before receiving their drivers license.  Finally after 14 years of being a driving instructor her personal goal is to educate each student she rides along with to be aware of their surrounding, the traffic laws and enjoy their time behind the wheel to become a safe driver for their ENTIRE driving career.

Susan Wehrle – Beginner Program & On-Road Instructor Susan recently completed a 30-year career in the military, retiring as a Colonel in the Arizona Air National Guard in April 2009. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Berry College in Georgia, and a Masters in Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She joined Driving MBA in May 2009 after seeing the program first-hand when her son went through the Beginner and On-Road programs prior to getting his driver’s license. Susan spent most of her time in the military as an instructor for formal Air Force schools and recognized a quality training program when she saw it, and she saw the benefits of the training in her son’s safe driving abilities. Susan is now qualified to train students on both the beginning simulation program and the on-road program. She enjoys working with the students to help make them safer drivers.

Cheryl McEwen – Beginner Program & On-Road Instructor Cheryl has been an educator for over 32 years and has a passion for seeing her students succeed in all areas of life, and teaching students to drive is no exception. Helping each student understand the fundamentals and techniques of being a defensive driver, along with the rules of the road, are tools they can use each time they head out the door with keys in hand. Cheryl also loves to travel and has been to Europe, Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand. She loves to read, hike, bike, swim, and spend time with family and friends.

Thomas Chapman – Classroom & Beginner Program Instructor Tom first attended college to acquire a B.S in Kinesiology. He worked as a personal trainer and coach and decided he wanted to focus more on working with kids. Currently Tom is working on finishing his B.S in Elementary Education through NAU. Tom is a record holder in discus at Saguaro High School. He placed 2nd in Regional for Javelin in 2003 and ranked 2nd in the nation for Javelin for Jr. Colleges in 2003. He joined the DrivingMBA team because of the unique technology AND because of the teens. “It’s exciting working with new people everyday”.

Priscilla Koestner – Classroom & Beginner Program Instructor Priscilla was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona until she moved to Phoenix to attend ASU. She graduated in 2006 with a B.A. in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Physical Education. She is beginning her 4th year of teaching at the elementary P.E. level in the Paradise Valley school district. Priscilla joined DrivingMBA because of her passion for working with young adults and the importance of teaching them to become a safe and defensive driver. She has witnessed many tragedies due to reckless driving and is eager to educate, and possibly prevent, such tragedies from occurring in the future.

Shawna Starck - Beginner & On-Road Program Instructor  Shawna is a native of Colorado and has been driving for nearly 25 years. She obtained her B.A. in Behavioral Science with a history emphasis and Elementary Education minor from Metro State College of Denver. She will graduate in May 2011 with her Master’s in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. She will then pursue her doctorate in education. She has worked with special needs children (primarily Autism) and at-risk teens for the past two years and looks forward to using her gained knowledge and experience to benefit drivers of all ages and backgrounds. She is also a proud mother of two daughters ages 5 and 14, a horse rider and trainer, as well as a certified soccer coach. She’s learned how traveling around the world in her lifetime has made her realize how much she loved to be settled with her family at home and looks forward to her plans of being a certified teacher in Arizona in the not-so-distant future.

Elizabeth Balla – On Road Instructor Elizabeth comes to DrivingMBA with 27 years of experience as a driver education teacher in New York City.   She was born in Romania and came to the United States in 1974. While in Romania she studied graphic arts. She lived in New York for 34 years and studied liberal arts. Elizabeth owned her own driving school in New York for 10 years. She came to Arizona in 2007. Her main goal is teaching SAFE driving habits and attitudes, that can save lives.  Elizabeth is currently going to school to become a dental assistant.

Brenda Walleman – On-Road Instructor Brenda has 20 years driving experience, including 15 passenger vans, moving vans up to 26 feet, manual transmission, and even a short bus! Brenda has 14 years experience working with youth of all ages and abilities as she has worked in child care, and is also a board-certified music therapist working with children with special needs in the valley for several years as well. Her varied experiences are a valuable asset, helping students who learn in different ways, and being able to think outside of the box to make student’s individual experiences successful and positive.

Natali Washburn – Classroom Instructor & Summer Admin Natali has taught high school math for the last eight years in the Paradise Valley Unified School district.  She recently received Masters Degree in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis in technology.  She has received accolades from her principal and coworkers for creating interesting and practical ways to reach her students.  She has worked for Driving MBA as an admin for the last three summers and she is an instructor for the Rules of the Road permit class and  the Advanced program orientation class.


Founders and Staff

Maria Wojtczak, Co-founder, COO
Maria has over 20 years of organization development experience working with a wide range of organizations. In addition to the use of traditional organization development techniques, she is highly skilled in large systems change and organization learning, with formal training in both specialties. She has extensive experience in the field of adult learning concepts, and in the design and facilitation of adult learning experiences and interventions at all levels, and sizes of organizations. Maria coached senior leaders in a variety of companies and consulted in this capacity with senior executives of large automotive business units, high level education personnel, and senior personnel in other organizations. Maria is certified in the use of the Myers Briggs Personality Indicator (MBTI) assessment. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan. Maria is responsible for the DrivingMBA operation as well as marketing for the organization.

Richard Wojtczak, Co-founder, CEO
Richard has over 30 years of diversified information systems experience and over 20 years of management experience within the automotive industry. His experience in Information Technology provides him with a solid appreciation of the possibilities for application of high technology tools. He brings a solid business background and possesses an MBA. Richard has training and practical experience in Organization Development and has consulted with diverse companies in the general area of organization development, including strategic planning, executive and team development, and skill building. Richard is highly skilled in problem analysis and change implementation.

JP Molnar, Consultant - Curriculum & Instruction
J.P. Molnar received a B.A. in International Relations from the University of San Diego, and a Masters Degree in Adult Education and Training from the University of Phoenix. He taught law enforcement emergency response training to multiple police agencies at the San Diego Regional Law Enforcement Academy for eight years. He is also a former state trooper, and from 2004-07, developed emergency vehicle driving courses for the State of Nevada. He also taught both SkidCar and EVOC classes at Western Nevada College.

Charles Sobczak, Public Relations, Vehicle & Facilities Management Charlie has a diverse background ranging from a traffic agent responsible for weight and balance of aircraft to hazardous material coordinator, customer service supervisor as well as sales for Flying Tigers in Detroit Michigan.   From 1993 to 2003 Charles was in charge of certification and on-going training of sales personnel in automotive retail. Charles has significant experience in customer interaction, both from his time in automotive sales and from his efforts in conjunction with his wife in the restaurant business. He is particularly adept at developing strong working relationships with a wide variety of contacts. Charlie and his wife Laura came to DrivingMBA as an investor/partners in August 2005.

Laura Sobczak, Accounting and Administration Laura's responsibilities include office management and book keeping for DrivingMBA. She also handles various administrative functions. Laura has a diverse background of experience ranging from being the first female traffic agent for Flying Tigers in Detroit Michigan to real estate and property management while living in Arizona. From 1992 until 2004 Laura managed the accounting and administrative aspects of her family's restaurants.

Amy Canfield, Human Resources, Chandler Site Manager & Scheduling Coordinator Amy moved to Arizona in 2002.  She joined DrivingMBA in October of 2007 as an Administrative Assistant.  Amy has an MBA with an emphasis in Human Resources.   Her responsibilities include instructor and student scheduling, management of the Chandler facility and Human Resources.

Judy Shandler - Enrollment Counselor & Registrar Judy was born in New York, moved to New Jersey and then to Chicago, Illinois. In 1991, Judy and her family moved to Arizona. Before joining DrivingMBA as an administrative assistant, Judy worked as an RN for 18 years in Chicago and was a collections agent in Phoenix.   Judy was first aware of DrivingMBA when her son, Benjie, took the DrivingMBA program and was one of the first students to take the course using the driving simulator. "Just to let you know"...Judy looks forward to meeting you and your future driver.

Jessica Roepke, Chandler Front Desk Jessica was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At the age of three her parents relocated to Arizona where she has since been living.   She is a recent graduate from Desert Mountain high school, and is attending the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU.   She has been with DrivingMBA since February 2009, working as an administrator.