DDC announces Bruce Sheetz as 2014 DDC Instructor of the Year

Bruce Sheetz has been named the 2014 Instructor of the Year for the National Safety Council Defensive Driving Courses. The announcement was made Saturday night at the DDC Awards Banquet in Atlanta, during the 2015 NSC Congress & Expo.

Instructors from 20 standard instructor-certified and state-specific programs were nominated for the award. Sheetz, of Arvada, CO, also is the DDC Alive at 25 National Law Enforcement Curriculum category winner for 2014.

Sheetz, who is retired from the Colorado State Patrol, saw the need for bringing Alive at 25 to his area in southern Colorado. He volunteered to become an instructor and established classes in one county, then expanded them into another county. As the program grew, he continued to help teach classes because he enjoyed interacting with students and making a positive impact on them.

Over the past 14 years of teaching Alive at 25, Sheetz has instructed nearly 3,500 drivers. He has spoken about the importance of safe driving habits to about 5,000 students through the Colorado State Patrol Family Foundation’s high school outreach program.

“I like to think that I am relaxed and approachable, even though I am considerably older than the students, and I use some self-deprecating humor and experiences from my teen years to relate to the students,” Sheetz said.