Meet Our Instructors

Chief Academic Officer

David has a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Penn State University and an MBA from Point Loma Nazarene University. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects. He has been teaching Autodesk programs for over 10 years and enjoys working and teaching in the architectural industry. In addition to working with the Autodesk suite, he has significant experience in 3D modeling, the Adobe Creative Suite, Bluebeam Revu, and SketchUp. David enjoys spending his free time with his wife, biking, hanging out with his kids, and listening to audiobooks by the fire. 

Credentials:

• Licensed Architect
• Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI SILVER – Certified > 5 Years)
• Autodesk Certified Professional: AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion 360
• Adobe Visual Design Specialist
• SketchUp Certified 3D Warehouse Content Developer

Bachelor of Arts

Student Experience Manager | I.T. Specialist

John has been working in the Multimedia World for more than 15 years but has had an interest in it ever since he was a child. He moved to San Diego to attend the University of California, San Diego, and upon graduating, decided to stick around “because of the weather.” He joined the VDCI Team in 2019 and has since come to appreciate a multitude of VDC Software.

• Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI)
• Bluebeam Professional

Bachelor of Architecture

Software Certification Specialist

Luis has a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of Southern California and over 10 years of professional AEC industry experience. He has made extensive use of AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit and Photoshop in his work, and is happiest when helping others achieve success. He’s an avid traveler who has run 10 marathons and enjoys reading, yoga, camping, volunteering and attending music festivals all over the world.

Bachelor of Architecture, Registered Architect

Revit Instructor

Michael is an Instructor for VDCI San Diego focusing on teaching and creating Revit courses to help students learn workflows through project based exercises that can be applied to real world projects. As a Licensed Architect in the State of California he has over 25 years of experience working on award winning commercial, municipal and industrial projects; creating spaces for some of the top pharmaceutical companies in the world, and enriching communities with projects like the El Cajon Animal Shelter, Mission Hills Library and El Centro Library. As an Autodesk Certified Platinum Revit Instructor he has helped train thousands of students over the past 15+ years within the San Diego AEC community and beyond

• Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI GOLD – 1 of 20 Awarded Globally)
• Autodesk Certified AutoCAD Professional
• Autodesk Certified Revit Professional
• Revit

Bachelor of Arts, Registered Architect, LEED AP BD+C Accredited

AutoCAD Instructor

John O’Malley is a Registered Architect based in San Diego with over a decade of experience delivering projects across many different sectors. He leads multidisciplinary teams through all phases of design and construction.

Known for his technical expertise and leadership in project delivery, John holds a California architecture license, is LEED AP BD+C certified, and is an Autodesk Certified Instructor. He is also dedicated to supporting future design professionals through his volunteer work with the ACE Mentor Program. 

• Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI SILVER – Certified > 5 Years)
• Autodesk Certified AutoCAD Professional
• Autodesk Certified Revit Professional
• AutoCAD

Master of Landscape Architecture , LEED AP BD+C Accredited

SketchUp and Blueprint Reading Instructor

Chris has an undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona. He is a California-registered landscape architect. Chris is actively engaged in the professional community and is well known for how he addresses multifaceted issues to craft solutions for community enrichment. In his spare time, Chris enjoys camping with his family in the wild open spaces of rural San Diego County.

• Autodesk Certified AutoCAD Professional
• AutoCAD, SketchUp

Professional Estimator

Construction Estimating Instructor

Ed started Wenz Consulting after 35 years as a professional estimator. He continues to work on various projects while also dedicating time to teaching and training through Wenz Consulting and VDCI. Ed has over 10 years of experience in Sage Estimating Development and Digital Takeoff Systems and has an extensive background in Construction Software and Communications Technology. Ed enjoys spending his free time with his wife and grandchildren in San Diego.

• Sage Estimating Certified Instructor
• Construction Cost Estimating

Mechanical Engineer

Revit MEP Instructor

Katie is a licensed Mechanical Engineer in the state of Missouri. She has 10 years of experience in the mechanical design and construction industry. She’s worked on a range of different projects including Industrial, Manufacturing, Healthcare and Data on both the engineering and construction side. She currently works for a mechanical contracting group that specializes in offsite construction. Katie manages projects through the full life cycle – from project development, construction in the fabrication shop, and turnover at the project site.  Offsite construction requires fabrication level Revit models. These Revit models are output into product shop drawings which are fabricated in the local shop and shipped to project sites all over the country.

• Autodesk Certified Instructor
• Revit MEP

 Bachelor of Architecture

SketchUp Pro Instructor

Over the course of the last 10 years of his architectural experience and training, Derek has developed a very strong set of skills and talents towards architecture, design and visualization. Derek grew up in an architectural family with his father owning his own practice in custom home design. Throughout the years, Derek has had the opportunity to work and be involved at his father's architecture office, dealing with clients, visiting job sites, and contributing in design and production works. Recently, Derek has built up an incredible resume of architecture experiences working at firms such as HOK in San Francisco, GENSLER in Los Angeles, and RNT, ALTEVERS Associates, HMC, and currently as the lead designer at FPBA in San Diego. Derek has specialized in the realm of architectural design and digital design.

• SketchUp Pro

Licensed Architect | Contractor | CAD/BIM Specialist

Reid isn't just someone who knows CAD and BIM; he's a licensed architect and contractor who deeply integrates these technologies into every facet of his career. His hands-on experience as a practitioner building real-world projects provides him with an invaluable understanding of how BIM and CAD streamline workflows and enhance design. This practical foundation led him to Autodesk, where he shared his expertise, helping others effectively leverage these powerful tools. Throughout his professional journey, Reid also dedicates himself to education, consistently teaching university courses and shaping the next generation of design professionals by equipping them with essential CAD skills. His unique blend of practical experience, industry knowledge gained at Autodesk, and passion for teaching positions Reid as a true specialist in BIM and CAD technology, capable of bridging the gap between theory and real-world application.

Credentials:

• Autodesk Fusion Certified User
• Autodesk Revit Certified Professional
• Autodesk Certified Instructor
• Licensed Architect
• Licensed General Contractor

AEC Software Specialist

David is the AEC Software Specialist at VDCI, with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and an Associate’s degree of science in Drafting and General Design from ITT Technical Institute. A San Diego native with over 12 years working in the Design Industry and construction industry, David brings his construction and design expertise to help all students achieve their goals in the field. Outside of his professional life, David loves attending concerts, festivals, playing his guitar and restoring and repairing all types of vehicles.

Credentials:

• OSHA 30 hr. Construction Safety Certified
• Construction Software: SketchUp, Bluebeam Revu, Autodesk Suite (AutoCAD, Fusion, REVIT)
• Mechanical Software: PTC CREO Parametric, Solidworks, MasterCAM

School Director, Instructor, & Senior Course Developer

Dan Rodney has been a designer and web developer for over 20 years, creating coursework and leading innovative training initiatives at Noble Desktop. Dan has been at the forefront of integrating AI into design and business workflows, spearheading Noble Desktop’s latest AI course offerings. In addition to teaching and curriculum development, he writes custom scripts for InDesign (Make Book Jacket, Proper Fraction Pro, and more) and works with automation and AI-driven tools in his free time. You can find Dan on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook, and at danrodney.com.

Senior Instructor, University of Colorado at Boulder

Matt Morris is a registered professional engineer and has extensive experience in many aspects of the engineering and construction industry. He holds a BS and MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. In his roles as a civil engineering officer in the U.S. Air Force and a project manager for a major commercial general contractor, Matt has led over 160 projects totaling over $1 Billion. As a professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, the University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado School of Mines, Matt has taught over 2,000 students through 16 different university courses in addition to thousands of students online.  Matt’s experience spans across many markets, including federal government, public works, healthcare, higher education, hospitality, manufacturing, laboratory, pharmaceutical, corporate, heavy civil and water conveyance. Additionally, Matt’s varied roles have enabled him to manage every phase of a project as an owner, contractor and designer. Matt is currently a Senior Instructor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Garfield is an experienced software trainer with over 16 years of real-world professional experience. He started as a data analyst with a Wall Street real estate investment company & continued working in the professional development department at New York Road Runners Organization before working at Noble. He enjoys bringing humor to whatever he teaches and loves conveying ideas in novel ways that help others learn more efficiently.

Since starting his professional training career in 2016, he has worked with several corporate clients including Adobe, HBO, Amazon, Yelp, Mitsubishi, WeWork, Michael Kors, Christian Dior, and Hermès. 

Outside of work, his hobbies include rescuing & archiving at-risk artistic online media using his database management skills.

Subjects taught by Garfield Stinvil:

Excel, SQL, Tableau, Data Analytics, Data Visualization, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft Office, VBA, AI, Microsoft Access

Garfield is an experienced software trainer with over 16 years of real-world professional experience. He started as a data analyst with a Wall Street real estate investment company & continued working in the professional development department at New York Road Runners Organization before working at Noble. He enjoys bringing humor to whatever he teaches and loves conveying ideas in novel ways that help others learn more efficiently.

Since starting his professional training career in 2016, he has worked with several corporate clients including Adobe, HBO, Amazon, Yelp, Mitsubishi, WeWork, Michael Kors, Christian Dior, and Hermès. 

Outside of work, his hobbies include rescuing & archiving at-risk artistic online media using his database management skills.

Subjects taught by Garfield Stinvil:

Excel, SQL, Tableau, Data Analytics, Data Visualization, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft Office, VBA, AI, Microsoft Access

Colin Jaffe is a programmer, writer, and teacher with a passion for creative code, customizable computing environments, and simple puns. He loves teaching code, from the fundamentals of algorithmic thinking to the business logic and user flow of application building—he particularly enjoys teaching JavaScript, Python, API design, and front-end frameworks.

Colin has taught code to a diverse group of students since learning to code himself, including young men of color at All-Star Code, elementary school kids at The Coding Space, and marginalized groups at Pursuit.

Colin lives in Brooklyn with his wife, two kids, and many intricate board games.

Subjects taught by Colin Jaffe:

Web Development, JavaScript, React, Python, Data Science, Data Analytics

Brian McClain is a seasoned web developer, instructor, and curriculum developer with expertise in web development, JavaScript, Python for Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI. He joined Noble Desktop in 2022, where he serves as a lead instructor and course developer for HTML & CSS, JavaScript, Python, and Excel. Brian previously served as Director for a New York-based coding bootcamp and taught Python Data Science and Machine Learning as an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Westchester County College. He also develops generative AI applications, including Artmink, an iOS and web app for art and antique appraisals.

Learn more about Brian McClain's background and expertise.

Subjects taught by Brian McClain:

Web Development, JavaScript, Excel, Data Analytics, Data Science, Python, React