About The CAD Geek

Donnie Gladfelter has led a peripatetic existence throughout the CAD industry for more than a decade. Getting his start in the classrooms of Hermitage High School and Hermitage Technical Center in Richmond, VA he has since emerged as a leader in the industry as a member of the AUGI Board of Directors, upcoming book AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT: No Experience Required, as a speaker at Autodesk University, and for his popular blog TheCADGeek.com. Today Donnie uses his intimate knowledge of Autodesk products such as AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Map 3D, and more as a consultant and trainer to firms nationwide.

Summary of Experience

A proven communicator, Donnie has reached thousands of people worldwide through many publications and various public speaking engagements. As a top-rated Autodesk University speaker, Donnie presented three sessions and assisted another at Autodesk University 2009. Donnie was also featured in many on-camera interviews, including an appearance on the popular In To Tomorrow show with Dave Graveline. In addition to such speaking engagements which have ranged in size, up to 60,000 people, Donnie is also known for his many published works.

Donnie is currently authoring the book AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT: No Experience Required due to bookstores in June 2010. Other published works include his many articles for the popular AUGIWorld magazine which is distributed to CAD users around the world in more than 225 countries. Donnie’s evangelistic nature is further illustrated by the many topics he covers on the popular The CAD Geek Blog. Welcoming thousands of CAD professionals each month, his blog has been recognized as a leader by the industry. In February 2009 Donnie was among a small group of bloggers invited to San Francisco, CA by Autodesk for the AutoCAD 2010 launch event.

Donnie’s professional reputation has been founded on both integrity and loyalty. These ideals have been achieved by subscribing to a simple, but effective personal mantra to “empower CAD professionals”. With an unwavering commitment to his craft, Donnie continues to embody this mantra by empowering the next generation of architecture and engineering professionals as a trainer and consultant to firms nationwide. In that role he hosts classroom style training sessions, and helps reinforce that training with subsequent mentoring sessions.

Prior to becoming a consultant and trainer, Donnie was the Design Systems Specialist (Assistant CAD Manager) for a multi-disciplinary civil engineering firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. An ENR 500 firm, they employed more than 350 people in nine offices throughout the Mid-Atlantic. During his near six-year tenure there, Donnie was jointly responsible for providing the technical support and training provided to each of their CAD professionals. In that role he was also responsible for the development of a collaborative Civil 3D BIM workflow used for a wide-range of projects within the firm.

Donnie Gladfelter lives in Richmond, Virginia where he and his fiancée Helen can oftentimes be found visiting regional historical sites, taking photographic excursions, attending a diverse selection of concerts, and skiing/snowboarding. Among some of their recent excursions includes visiting the Usonian Pope-Leighey House by world renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Donnie is also an Eagle Scout, and Vigil Honor member in the Order of the Arrow (Scouting’s National Honor Society).