Rick Creed
Rick has been a driver’s ed instructor since 1980. Rick has a Master’s Degree in Secondary Administration. Rick was a teacher for 31 years at Ash Grove School District. Upon retirement, Rick taught for two years as a driving instructor for the Safety Council of the Ozarks who, at the time, contracted with Springfield Public Schools. Rick then went to work as a driving instructor for Mercy Injury Prevention where he spent four years teaching driver’s education. Fun fact about Rick: when he was 21 years old, his first student driver was a humorous and delightful 69 year old lady who owned and operated a miniature golf course in Branson.
Daren Kirskey
Mike Downing
Mike has been a driving instructor for over 33 years! Mike has taught driver education at Springfield Public Schools, Fair Grove Public School, and Mercy Injury Prevention. Fun fact about Mike: his wife wonders at the patience he has to be in a driver training vehicle with a young teen who has little experience.
Stan Taylor
Stan has been a certified driving instructor for over 31 years. Stan started his instructor career at Mount Vernon Schools where he taught for 25 years. He then transitioned to Mercy Injury Prevention where he taught driver’s education for 10 years. Fun fact about Stan: Stan started driving a custom made go-cart when he was 8 years old where he stirred up the dirt on his custom track behind his farm house in Joplin in the early 1960s.
Luke Spain
Luke is one of our classroom instructors at Midwest Training Center, teaching the defensive driving classes optional for our students to take. Luke has been in healthcare for over nine years, three and a half of which was in injury prevention and driving safety. Luke has presented over 150 driving programs and courses reaching over 10,000 people in our community specific to road safety. In the context of Injury Prevention and safety awareness, Luke has reached well over 50,000 community members.
Luke has been trained and specialized in a wide range of safety and injury prevention including defensive driving, passenger restraints, bike safety, poison prevention, firearms handling and operation, basic motorcycle safety, general fire safety, warehouse safety and forklift operation, emergency preparedness, outdoor safety, and much more.
Luke is a National Safety Council certified instructor and a Senior Child Passenger Safety Technician. Luke graduated from Kickapoo high school and has a Bachelor’s degree from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri majoring in Public Relations and Advertising. In his spare time, Luke loves spending time with his family and his German Shepherd, Echo, and being outdoors. He is active in the community volunteering with his church and Convoy of Hope.
Lisa Donaldson
Lisa is the founder and owner of Midwest Training Center. She worked in healthcare for several years then transitioned to 911 as a dispatcher for six years. Lisa’s exposure to the public in these environments fueled her desire to help make the community a safer place. Lisa graduated from Willard High School and attended college at Ozarks Technical Community College and Southwest Baptist University. Lisa is a National Safety Council certified instructor and enjoys time in the classroom improving the awareness of other drivers. In her spare time, Lisa loves spending time with friends and family, going to the lake, and attending church.