The Distracted Driving Coalition of Nodaway County (DDC) is bringing nationally-known speaker Joel Feldman to Nodaway County on Tuesday, March 13 and Wednesday, March 14.

Distracted driving speaker Joel Feldman, with a photo of his daughter, Casey, will speak at various functions throughout Nodaway County on March 13 and 14.

Feldman is the creator of EndDD.org, End Distracted Driving, and has developed science-based distracted driving presentations as well as other resources used by businesses, schools and community groups in educational initiatives. The death of Feldman’s daughter, Casey, was caused by a distracted driver in 2009.

“The DDC applied for a grant and through this opportunity we were able to get Joel Feldman, a well-known speaker on distracted driving, to come and speak to the Nodaway County community,” Kathryn Hawley, representing the Nodaway County Health Department in the DDC, said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge, both professionally and personally.”

Distracted driving is defined as any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger and bystander safety. Distractions include texting, using a cell phone, eating and drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading, using a navigation system, watching a video and adjusting a radio, CD or MP3 player.

An opportunity for the general public to see Feldman will be at a business luncheon from noon to 1 pm, March 13 at the Nodaway County Administration Building, 403 North Market Street, Maryville.

The luncheon is sponsored by Farmers Mutual Insurance of Nodaway County and will be prepared by B&G Catering. The first 100 people will receive a free gift bag. Attendees are urged to bring a business card to enter the door prize drawing.

On March 13, Feldman will also speak at South Nodaway, which is hosting Jefferson and Nodaway-Holt school districts, 9 to 9:45 am; Maryville High School, 1:30 pm; SSM Health St. Francis Hospital, Maryville, 3 to 3:45 pm; and Northwest Missouri State University students, 7 pm.

On March 14, he will speak at West Nodaway, with North Nodaway attending, 9 to 9:45 am; Bobby Palooza Safe Spring Break Fair at Northwest, east side of the Union; Northeast Nodaway, 1:30 pm; and United Electric Co-op, Maryville, 3 pm.

Feldman is a shareholder in the Philadelphia law firm of Anapol Weiss. He obtained his master’s in counseling from Villanova University and has worked at a hospice providing grief counseling to patients and family members.

Feldman has produced several public service announcements, which are used throughout the country. He has given more than 600 distracted driving presentations to more than 125,000 teens and adults since 2012. He has been the keynote speaker at a number of legal, medical, traffic safety and business conferences.

He works regularly with traffic safety professionals and educators to bring distracted driving awareness programs to schools across the country. Current projects include developing programs for elementary and middle school students and evaluation of distracted driving initiatives to maximize their effectiveness.

The DDC of Nodaway County is composed of Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments, Nucor-LMP, Northwest Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, NorthwestCell, Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville Public Safety, Northwest Missouri State University Police Department, Nodaway County Health Department, Nodaway County Sheriff’s Department, Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Nodaway County, Maryville Parks and Recreation, Rapid Elite and Debrielle Patee-Merrill, student advocate.

“Really excited to see so many companies and organizations working together to bring education and awareness to help reduce distracted driving in Nodaway County,” Marie Hawthorn, Nucor-LMP, said.