Donald Lowery brings over 42 years of frontline experience in safety, emergency response, and regulatory compliance. Donald specializes in Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Regulations and Hazardous Waste Operations, bringing a wealth of transportation-specific expertise to the classroom.

Donald’s career began in the United States Marine Corps, where he served as a Tactical Air Controller and Recruiter, honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He then spent over two decades with the California Highway Patrol, serving as both a Highway Patrol Officer and later as a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer. In this role, he enforced state and federal hazardous materials transportation laws and trained his peers in commercial enforcement for over a decade.

From 2001 to 2006, Donald served as the Commercial Industry
Education Program Officer for the greater Sacramento Valley, delivering live training to the transportation industry on a range of critical safety topics—from hazmat transportation and defensive driving to pre-trip inspections and loading regulations. Following his retirement from the CHP, he spent 14 years in the private sector as a Safety Manager, working with hazmat transporters in the propane, ethanol, and gasoline industries, as well as general freight.

Since 2020, Donald has operated a private consulting business supporting transportation companies and insurers with compliance and claims. One of his proudest experiences was training fellow officers within the CHP—peers who often matched his own knowledge and challenged him to raise the bar. “Training law enforcement professionals requires not only deep subject expertise, but the confidence to hold your ground and deliver clarity under pressure,” he says. That same confidence now benefits every student in his class.