Rich Hanson has 32 years of classroom teaching experience in a variety of subjects. His assignments have ranged from all levels of biology, speech, math, philosophy, auto and computer technology, alternative ed and driver education. He teaches both classroom and behind the wheel for Tigard High School and 11 years ago joined the Trainer of Trainers cadre for Western Oregon University. He has traveled the state of Oregon to teach driver ed teacher prep courses and has worked with numerous states including, Oregon, Washington, North Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and New Hampshire providing teacher training, curriculum development and strategies for implementation of their new driver education curriculum. As one of five of Oregon’s lead trainers, Rich is currently working with lead team to revise Oregon’s student curriculum and Western Oregon University teacher prep courses moving key elements to online.
Rich is the past-president of Oregon Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association and currently serves as the Legislative Liaison for the association. He is current chair of the Oregon Department of Transportation Driver Education Advisory Committee. He is involved at the national level as a conference speaker having made presentations for the national driver ed association in Oregon, Hawaii, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Washington, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Missouri, and Vermont. He was selected by the Oregon Traffic Safety Education Association as the state driver education teacher of the year in 2005 and by the American Driver Traffic Safety Education Association as the 2006 National Driver Education Teacher of the Year.
Rich is married to his college sweetheart and has two grown daughters and one granddaughter. When he and his wife Karen aren't playing online lotteries, they do pre-marital counseling and have been involved in several projects on a local and national level to promote healthier marriages.
In his spare time Rich likes to paint with color pencil, ride his recumbent bicycle, salmon and sturgeon fishing, pheasant hunting and golf.