Our Staff - Local Driving School, Behind the wheel and Drivers Education, Driving School Defensive driving , DMV road exam

Mani Sondhi

Mani Sondhi, the owner and operator of Local Driving School, is the most experienced professional of the Local Driving team. He has taught drivers training for 20+ years, and is a DMV licensed traffic school instructor. Mani, perhaps more than anyone else, sees his work as a service to society. He is passionate about teaching students to be safe, wise, and courteous drivers, as well as helping new drivers earn their license. He is a defensive driving professional, and has taught driving across Northern California, including the Bay Area. Mani grew up in Yuba City, CA, studied at San Francisco State University, and worked as a driving instructor while majoring in businesses. Mani has partnered Local Driving with “Donate Life California”, offers free driving education to adults every year, and has raised awareness about traffic safety in his local community. A few of Mani’s hobbies include traveling and playing tennis.

Jot Sondhi

Jot is Mani’s wife, and joined her husband in teaching driving in 2009. She is patient, kind, and knowledgeable. She encourages her students to be both attentive and confident and enjoys helping drivers in her community be safe. As a mother of two wonderful children, she knows how important safe driving is. She enjoys teaching students all over the world. She has a degree in Computer Science. On her free time, she loves traveling, reading, playing games, and spending quality time with her family.

Don Littlejohn

Don has served on the Local Driving team for 20 years, but has been a driving instructor for over 20 years. He is an experienced professional who sees drivers training as his career. He has many children and grandchildren, which he says helps him understand and communicate with his students. Consequently, he enjoys working with youth, and values his work as a unique opportunity to help society, specifically by training youth to be safe drivers. He was born in Marysville, CA, and is extremely familiar with Yuba-Sutter county. In fact, his family history in the Yuba/Marysville area traces back to the 1860s. On his free time, Don enjoys riding motorcycles and spending time with his family.

Karan Sondhi

Hello, my name is Karan Sondhi, and I've been a local driving school instructor for the last 16 years. One of my strengths is I like to get information for all my students in fine detail. So why don't you give us a try and let's teach your kids!

Steve Voigt

Steve is a very outgoing instructor. He has been teaching students how to drive for the past 5 years. Steve grew up in Lake Tahoe then moved to the Bay Area and attended Diablo Valley College. Steve loves to go snowboarding, spending time with his dog, and listening to music.

Jyoti Sondhi

Gary Singh

Hello, I'm Gary. I work in the I.T. department along with teaching defensive driving for Local Driving School. I've spent nearly my entire life in Yuba City. I enjoy photography and occasionally do freelance work as a wedding photographer as well. I have been teaching for a bit over a year and am very well versed in how to get students to improve their driving regardless of skill level.

Chelsea Osgood

My name is Chelsea Osgood, I live in Marysville and have been in the Yuba City area my entire life. I enjoy teaching new drivers defensive driving because I want them to feel comfortable behind the wheel and to understand safe driving habits. In my free time enjoy travel and art.

Kirt Ewing

Kirt has been an excellent driving instructor with us since March 2018. He has had his CA driving license since age 16 from El Cerrito, so forty (40) years driving – in several states and other countries! Born in San Francisco, Kirt now lives in Pinole Valley, knows the roadways very well and enjoys teaching driving to local bay area students. Married to a Filipina and having traveled extensively in Asia and worked in Hong Kong, Kirt knows how to relate well to students from many different geographical backgrounds. He is married with two wonderful children who are in elementary/middle school. Mr. Ewing is a former teacher, who enjoys using his whiteboard to show situations and have students learn important acronyms such as ‘SIPDE’ and ‘SMOG’ for turns and lane changes. Having given more than 1,400 lessons, Kirt is very relaxed and comfortable modeling good driving skills and being in the passenger seat giving directions and training. He enjoys being personable during the two hours, so time passes quickly. In fact, he has some of the most/best REVIEWS on both Google and Yelp for our company. He is super patient, kind and makes sure students learn and improve each time out. Also, he prepares them excellently for their DMV road test!

Druh Martinez

Druh Martines has been driving for over 30 years. Her goal as an instructor is to have the student learn the theoretical and practical aspects of driving. Druh encourages the student to be alert and aware of their surroundings at the same time have a good eye, hand, and foot coordination. She also inspires the student to enjoy driving by being calm and patient. Druh enjoys playing the ukulele, listening to music, and doing art during her free time.

Charan Gill

Charan Gill, driving instructor at Local Driving School and a full-time college student. Charan is a professional driving instructor, who can present information in an interesting, brief, and humorous manner that enables automatic muscle memory. He is an extrovert person who enjoys technology, video games, traveling, sports, and cars. Charan loves engaging students in conversations to reduce nervousness and fears within students.

Xochitl (Xo) Capaul

Heylo heylo my name is Xochitl Capaul but you can just call me XO. I was born and raised in Yuba City but 916 will forever be engraved in my heart as home. I’m currently a full time student and the fur mama of a beautiful 3 year old Siberian Husky named Xaura. In my spare time you could catch me at my Art Lab or up at Tahome(Tahoe). I’m really grateful for this job and surprised at how much I really do love teaching. I like to think that my style of teaching is laid back and filled with affirmations because I believe everyone deserves to feels confident no matter what level they are at. We all must start off as students but I hope by the end of the lesson you’re feeling more confident in becoming the master.

Sarah Huber

Hello, My name is Sarah and I have been an educator for three years so far and absolutely love it! I have lived in the Yuba city area my whole life. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, concerts, comics, movies, and board games. I have so much fun working at the Local Driving School and can't wait to meet you!

David Rodriguez

Hi, my name is David Rodriguez. I am 35 years old. I am married with two children, a 15 year old daughter and 6 year old son. Training and helping people has always been something I enjoyed doing and have many years under my belt of personal training/fitness management and helping people build their skill set. I am excited everyday that I have the opportunity to train and help people in such a different way. It brings me so much joy to see people succeed in any skill they seek to learn and the fact that I get to have any contribution in them achieving their goal brings me so much satisfaction.

Mark Hopson

Hello, my name is Mark. I have been a safe and knowledgeable driver for over 40 years. I have lived in the Bay Area all my life and grew up in the Richmond Hills by Alvarado Park off the Arlington. I love our Bay Area sports teams, especially the Warriors. I have a wife and raised 2 kids, one is married now and the other is a Junior at UC Santa Cruz. I consider it an honor to teach you safe driving fundamentals in achieving and getting your Driver's License.

Amarjit Kaur

Hi, my name is Amarjit Kalsa, and I'm with Local Driving School. I've been teaching for 7 years now. I'm a single mother of two, and I like teaching. I am a professional teacher as well. My son who's a 9th grader will be driving soon, and my daughter who's a 7th grader will definitely be going with Local Driving School as well.

Mary Logan

Hello, my name is Mary Logan and I have lived in the Yuba-Sutter community for almost my entire life. I graduated from Lindhurst High School and married my high school sweetheart. I have a beautiful family which includes three adult children and seven grandchildren. I have retired from the DMV after 22 years. I am proud to be a Yuba-Sutter resident and love to work with the youth in our great community.