Megan McDermeit

Traffic Safety Education Program Manager, 503-838-8143, mcdermeitm@wou.edu

Megan McDermeit is a proud Oregonian who received a bachelor’s degree in history from Oregon State University and graduated from WOU with a Master’s in Teaching in 2004. Megan previously spent 14 years as an educator at North Salem High School teaching Social Studies, with a focus on history and law. She also has experience coordinating large-scale school and community events. Megan’s years in education have provided her the tools to be highly effective collaborator and accomplished curriculum developer. Megan enjoys movies, trivia, traveling and spending time with her niece and nephews.

Tim Beckham

Trainer of Trainers, beckhamt@wou.edu

Tim Beckham has been in traffic safety since 2012. He was an instructor at Oregon Driver Education Center (ODEC) and worked his way up to the Vice President of the company until August of 2021. At ODEC he trained teens, adults, and instructors. He became a Trainer of Trainer with Western Oregon University in 2016, where he loves training adults to become instructors. He now works at Highway Safety Services (HSS) as a Project Manager.  HSS manages the American Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA) and has contracts with National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) where they work on national driver education initiatives.

Travis Gordon

Trainer of Trainers, gordont@wou.edu

Travis started his driver education career as a certified instructor in 2014 for Oregon Driver Education Center. Travis joined Western Oregon University as a Trainer of Trainer in Summer of 2018. Travis has presented at multiple conferences throughout the state. He is enjoying his time helping turn great students into Driver Education instructors. Travis is also a certified DMV drive tester who has helped drivers of all ages receive their driver license. He’s helped teach defensive driving classes for many fleet companies and state agencies.

Doug Reed

Trainer of Trainers, reed@wou.edu

Doug is an experienced educator with a passion for teen learning. He has been teaching STEM in public high schools for over 20 years. In 2014 he began teaching novice drivers for Southern Oregon Driver Education (SODE) in Medford and discovered anew the joy of teaching teens a life-long skill while making the community a safer place. He immediately knew that he wanted others to experience this demanding but rewarding career, so in 2016 he joined the Western Oregon University Traffic Safety Education Trainer of Trainers team. Doug makes his home in the Rogue Valley with his wife and four children, where he lives out his values of faith, family, and a passion for education.

Sharon Rothacker

Trainer of Trainers, rothacks@wou.edu

Sharon Rothacker has been a Traffic Safety Educator for Umpqua Community College since 2000. She instructs both teens and adults in classroom and behind the wheel sessions. Sharon also instructs Bioptic driver training for individuals with low vision. She has been a Trainer of Trainers for the Western Oregon University-ODOT program for new Traffic Safety instructors since 2004. She began coordinating the Driver Education program in Roseburg Oregon for Umpqua Community College in 2016. Sharon has a passion for traffic safety and enjoys what she does.

Cheri Kimball

Trainer of Trainers, kimballc@wou.edu

Cheri Kimball began her journey in the Driver Education world in July 2015. Since then has been what she calls “the best decision I’ve made in a very long time”. She started as the General Manager of a private commercial driving school conducting driver education classes for teens in Lane County and the Greater Portland areas. She still holds this position and has since added a position as the Chair of the Driver Education Advisory Committee, President of our state association, ODTSEA, and Western Oregon University Trainer of Trainers. She holds each of these positions with pride and looks forward to a long career in driver education.

In her very little personal time she most enjoys spending time with her family especially her two grandchildren, attending as many concerts as possible, running, hiking, paddleboarding, dancing and anything that has to do with the ocean.

Todd Sholty

Trainer of Trainers, sholtyt@wou.edu

Todd is a teacher at Rex Putnam High School, in Milwaukie. Previous to that, he lived on the Oregon Coast, where he managed an alternative high school in Lincoln County. Todd has been a classroom and behind-the-wheel teacher for the past eight years

Jim Irving

Trainer of Trainers, irvingj@wou.edu

Jim is a wearer of many hats and brings a broad range of experiences to the classroom. He is the Band and Orchestra Director at Tigard High School, also the Program Coordinator for the Tigard-Tualatin School District Driver Education Program. Jim is thankful for his wife, Karen, and three grown kids. When not working, Jim likes to do projects around the home

Elliot Hansen

Trainer of Trainers, hansene@wou.edu 

Elliot started his Driver Education career in 2020 as a driving instructor. He has raced cars and motorcycles for the past 12 years and wanted to take his passion for driving to help create a safer driving experience for all. In his spare time, he enjoys tinkering on cars and camping with his wife and dogs.