MEET OUR TEAM
Bob is the founder of S.O.D.E. and has been an educator of driving instruction for nearly 30 years. He was a certified public school teacher, most recently at McLoughlin Middle School, with twenty years of special education experience and recently retired in order to place all of his focus on Southern Oregon Driver Education, Inc. Bob is committed to the instruction of youth and adults to ensure our roads are safe and drivers have a lifetime of crash-free driving. He enjoys working with the community and thrives on their success. When not working, Bob enjoys spending time with his family.
Bob Jones - Owner, Senior Training Instructor & Third Party DMV Examiner
Helen Jones - Owner, Administrator & Classroom Instructor
Helen has the heart of a teacher and is passionate about educating our teens and keeping them safe on the roads. She is currently serving her second 3 year term on the Driver Education Advisory Committee for ODOT - Traffic Safety Division. Prior to teaching driver education, she was a certified middle school teacher. In addition, she has been a swim instructor for 30+ years. She also enjoys volunteering at her church facilitating small groups of teens. When not teaching she enjoys hiking and exploring with her husband, 8 daughters and their families.
Doug Reed - Instructor, Third Party DMV Examiner & Trainer of Trainers
Doug has taught high school math and science for more than 20 years. He began his career in Southern California before moving with his wife and four children to the Rogue Valley in 2007. He has always enjoyed working with teens and is excited to have been with the S.O.D.E., Inc. family since Fall 2014. Doug has been a State "Trainer of Trainers" teaching new driver education instructors for the last few years.
Tim Rupp - Driver Ed Supervisor, Instructor & Third Party DMV Examiner
Tim grew up in the Rogue Valley and is a retired educator of 31 years. He got his first taste of driver education working in Roseburg in the 1990's. He has been teaching driver education for Southern Oregon Driver Ed for nearly 10 years. Tim enjoys sharing his passion for safe driving with our students.
Lorenzo Ridley - Instructor & Third Party DMV Examiner
Lorenzo is a unique and passionate young man with a go-getter spirit to match. He has one year of Logistics Education at the University of Anchorage, Alaska and has started his own part-time delivery business in Medford, OR. He has a natural gift for teaching and enjoys helping others. Teaching for S.O.D.E., Inc. is his first teaching experience in a professional teaching setting, and with his amount of confidence he knows he will prove his self-worth and make S.O.D.E., Inc. proud.
Michael Gomez - Instructor & Third Party DMV Examiner
Michael has been a driving instructor for a total of 5 years. Some of that time was spent instructing in southern California, where he was born and lived for most of his life. He began working for S.O.D.E., Inc. in the summer of 2020. He is passionate about teaching people to be considerate, responsible and capable drivers. Michael teaches safe driving techniques in the classroom and behind the wheel. His cheerful personality puts people at ease while working as a Third Party DMV Examnier and an instructor.
Greg Nichols - Third Party DMV Examiner
Bio coming soon
Douglas Park- Third Party DMV Examiner
Douglas grew up in Lebanon, OR for most of his childhood. When he was in high school he and his parents later moved to Germany. After graduating he joined the Oregon Army National Guard and soon after commissioned as an engineer officer. He graduated with his Master’s degree in Education at Western Oregon University while playing football for 4 years. Douglas was an administrator for over 30 years serving students, staff, parents and the community. Seeing the value of Driver Education to make teenage drivers safe, he became a Driver Education Instructor and DMV Certified 3rd Party Drive Test Examiner
Jon Knapp - Instructor
Jon is semi-retired and decided to become a Driver Ed Instructor to teach teens. On his off time he enjoys anything having to do with automotives, including off-roading and vehicle fabrication. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Safety Administration and a master’s in Disaster Preparedness from Grand Canyon University. He went on to serve in the Air force, The Salvation Army, and is a retired Law Enforcement Officer. Jon has contributed many years of service to our country and community. He continues to serve our community through local government and nonprofit boards.
Lily Morgan - Instructor
Bio coming soon
Lindsey Blesse - Instructor
Bio coming soon
Angela - Office Manager
Angela is a dedicated and passionate manager. She has been employed with us for almost 3 years and has continued to help our business improve. She is extremely passionate about health and fitness. She has been a certified personal trainer for 10 years and is planning on going through the ODOT certified Driver Ed Instructor Training soon. Angela is a mother to 2 amazing kids and is constantly bettering herself and others around her.
Carissa- Driver Ed Coordinator
Carissa was born and raised in the Rogue Valley and has been an office assistant for almost 2 years with us. Carissa has an art for decorating and hosting events for friends and family. She is an extremely quick learner and great at keeping us organized. She is now a coordinator for our Teen Driver Ed program.