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The Team

The Skyline Team

The Skyline Attractions team combines over a century of amusement industry experience. The engineers and creatives trace their roots across North America, each bringing a unique assortment of experiences and talents to the table.

Chris M. Gray

Partner / Vice President

At eight years old, Chris Gray knew he wanted to design and build amusement rides, and he focused on that dream ever since. Chris found himself studying rides as a child and trying to figure out how they worked and how he could make them better. Growing up in rural Kentucky, his family didn’t have the financial means to send him to college so he went about it on his own. He started in 1994 by joining the US Navy, and upon his honorable discharge in 1998, attended Spencerian College in Lexington, Kentucky.

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While in the Navy, Chris was continually networking his way into this amazing industry, working sometimes as a Ride Operator in Gulf Shores, Alabama and attending the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) annual Trade Show. Upon earning his degree from Spencerian College in Technical Drawing and Drafting in 2001, Chris landed exactly where he wanted to be as the technical manager for roller coaster train assembly at Great Coasters International, Inc. (GCII).

From there he worked his way up into as many positions as he could, and he became an integral part of GCII from marketing to safety training, design to assembly, and, eventually, became one of the primary faces of the company and perhaps even the roller coaster industry. During his 12 year tenure at GCII, Chris was responsible for $137 million of product purchases and deliveries, and supervised the precision assembly of 42 roller coaster trains. Chris saw the product through to delivery, eventually training all park maintenance and operational personnel in the proper upkeep of GCII products.

While at GCII, Chris also served on two committees for IAAPA: the Manufacturers and Suppliers Committee from 2010 to 2012 and the Trade Show Space Allocation Committee from 2014 to 2016. Chris has also been a member of the Orlando Convention and Trade Advisory Council, and he was invited by the Amusement Industry Manufacturers and Suppliers (AIMS) to teach a wooden roller coaster maintenance class and safety seminar.

As one of the founding members of Skyline Attractions, Chris adds his knowledge of this industry and the relationships he has built with park owners around the world. Chris is Skyline Attractions’ man with a huge imagination and the know-how to build those ideas into actual machines that entertain millions.

Jeff Pike

Partner / President

Like so many in the amusement industry, Jeff has dedicated himself to rides and parks for as long as he can remember. From elementary school to the present day, he has been focused on roller coasters, amusement rides, and all around fun!

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Through his years at the University of Louisville studying Mechanical Engineering, Jeff was in constant contact with industry leaders seeking guidance and advice. As a ride operator for both Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California, Jeff learned the basics of ride operations and closely followed the maintenance crews during their morning checks to learn more about the inner workings of the rides.

It was this curiosity and perseverance that helped Jeff land his first job on the design side of the industry: a drafting internship with D.H. Morgan Manufacturing. At Morgan, Jeff worked side-by-side with some of the most ambitious designers as they dreamed up plans for record-breaking rides such as Wild Thing at Valleyfair, Steel Force at Dorney Park, and Mamba at Worlds of Fun. These internships provided Jeff with valuable insight into the painstaking detail and precision that goes into every state-of-the art amusement attraction.

Through Morgan, Jeff met Michael Boodley, arguably the best wooden coaster designer of the era. Upon graduation from University of Louisville in 1998 with his BS in Mechanical Engineering and passing the FE exam, Mr. Boodley offered Jeff a position in the Design department of Great Coasters International, Inc.

In 2001, upon Mr. Boodley’s retirement, Jeff became Vice President of Sales and Design at GCII and took over the primary duties of roller coaster design and engineering coordination. During his time as Vice President, Jeff designed 15 roller coasters that span from the California coast to the Orient. His rides dot the European landscape, and he led the GCII team as they introduced exciting innovations such as the durable and elegant steel superstructure of the White Lightning coaster at Fun Spot America in Orlando, and the pint-sized Mini-llennium Flyer wood coaster vehicles which offer the little ones a chance to safely and comfortably experience their first wooden coaster thrill.

With Jeff’s leadership, GCII became the market leader in wood coasters in all of Europe, guiding GCII through the design of six wood coasters from Finland to Germany. He successfully navigated the bureaucracy in China to become one of only two certified wood coaster suppliers in the People’s Republic, and he has designed the two largest wood coasters in all of China. Jeff has negotiated more than $100 million in wood coaster design and support contracts, had design input into more than 25% of all wood coasters in the world, provided guidance for several young engineers who have gone on to success in the industry, and grew the GCII brand into the most recognizable name for the design and construction of safe and reliable thrills.

Today, Jeff looks skyward as he turns his attention to the promise of a new generation of fun and thrills with Skyline Attractions. With his skills and experience, the sky is quite literally the limit!

Evan Souliere, PE

Partner / Treasurer

Evan has been interested in engineering since an early age, and, more specifically, fascinated by the engineering of amusement attractions since before his teenage years. He spent his summers during high school working at Six Flags New England, working his way into a seasonal management position, in which he became responsible for the overall operation of seven major amusement rides and roller coasters.

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In 2004, Evan started in a five-year cooperative education program in the Civil Engineering department at Northeastern University. His first co-op was spent in 2006 at Simpson, Gumpertz, and Heger, Inc, an internationally-renowned consulting engineering firm. In 2007, Evan began a co-op with Great Coasters International, Inc., one of just a handful of designers and manufacturers of wooden roller coasters in the world. For the next two years, Evan alternated between working for GCII and taking classes at Northeastern.

His role at GCII consisted of aiding the two full-time engineers with any and every task needed to design and create drawings for new roller coaster installations and improvements to existing wooden roller coasters. This included work on foundations, structures, buildings, ride dynamics, and mechanical systems.

Upon graduation from Northeastern in 2009, Evan was hired full-time by GCII, where his role was similar to that during his co-op, although his responsibilities and ability to make decisions increased. Over the next several years, the workforce in the engineering office increased, and Evan began to take on a supervisory role. He moved into a senior engineer position in 2013, which is the same year he applied for, qualified, and passed an exam to be certified as a Professional Engineer.

In 2014, Evan transitioned out of his role at GCII and joined three colleagues to form Skyline Attractions. He brings with him his engineering skills, organization, familiarity with networks and computer systems, and competence in decision making.

Bill Wydra

Partner

In addition to his partnership in Skyline Attractions, Bill Wydra, Jr. is the President and Owner of Ashland Technologies, Inc. (Ash/Tec, Inc.) and Wydra International Properties, LLC. He is a member of an international joint venture, Amecosse, LLC, as well as a partner in Honolulu Hot Dog Company, Inc.

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Bill’s first company, Ashland Technologies, Inc. has been ranked on the INC 500/5000 fastest growing US companies list for five consecutive years (2009-2013). In 2009, Ashland Technologies, Inc. was the #1 Fastest Growing Manufacturer in the state of Pennsylvania and ranked #55 in the US. Ashland was also honored as one of the Top 10 machine shops in the country by American Machinist Magazine. You can also find them frequently featured on a PCN Tours television show which highlights many of their cool products and capabilities. Most recently, Ash/Tec received its second nomination for the annual Governor’s Impact Award in the field of exporting.

Bill founded the company 18 years ago with the vision of becoming the “First International Chain of Machine Shops”, including a location in Central Florida. Although they can make just about anything, Ashland Technologies focuses on any market where they can “Turn Metal into Thrills”; as such, their target markets are amusement/roller coaster, food service, and energy segments worldwide.

Bill is an executive member of several boards of non-profit organizations including the Manufacturing Resource Center at Lehigh University (Former Chairman), Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation (Treasurer), Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce (Past President) and Valencia College Manufacturing Advisory Board (Quality Curriculum Committee Member). He serves on the board of a for-profit company, Dynalene, Inc., for which he holds the position of Director of International Sales. Bill has been honored numerous times for his outstanding contributions to business and community; recent awards include Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Business Man of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year awards, Manufacturing Excellence award, and Business Journal Top 20 under 40. He was also a regional finalist for the Earnst & Young 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year award.

A graduate of George Mason University with degrees in Marketing, Economics and Finance, Bill’s philosophy on business is to empower all his employees and business partners to break the mold of convention and mediocrity and make the “impossible” possible.

Bill is a native of Pennsylvania and resides with his wife Angela and their twin boys and daughter, all of whom share Bill’s passion for thrills, adventure, and travel even at a young age.

Jeff Bardt

Engineering Project Director

Jeff grew up in South Florida, where frequent family trips to the Orlando area sparked a lifelong passion for theme parks and attractions. Visits to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and even now-defunct parks like Circus World and Boardwalk and Baseball were a defining part of his childhood, shaping his interest in ride systems and immersive entertainment.

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Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master of Science from the University of Florida in mechanical engineering. He began his career in semiconductor manufacturing, spending eight years in a state-of-the-art fabrication facility as an Equipment and Process Engineering Manager and Maintenance Supervisor. In this role, he supported the production of DRAM, flash memory, and logic chips, developing deep expertise in complex systems, reliability, and process optimization.

Driven by his passion for the themed entertainment industry, Jeff joined Universal Orlando Resort in 2014. He spent four years in maintenance leadership and reliability engineering roles, focusing on asset reliability, maintenance strategy, and system performance.

Jeff later transitioned to Universal Creative, where he spent seven years supporting the development of Universal’s Epic Universe. He initially led a team responsible for bringing the Wizarding World to life through animated figures, special effects, and large show action equipment. He then transitioned into a leadership role for the overall quality program, supporting the Engineering & Safety team in delivering a large-scale, next-generation theme park.

Today, Jeff serves as an Engineering Project Director at Skyline Attractions, where he supports the design, safety, and delivery of custom amusement rides. He brings a strong background in reliability engineering, quality systems, and regulatory coordination, with a focus on delivering safe, innovative, and high-performance ride systems.

Jack Kapralick

Design Engineer

Jack grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where birthday traditions included annual trips to Hersheypark, Knoebels, and Dorney Park. Those early visits sparked a lasting curiosity, not just for the rides themselves, but for the engineering and mechanics that keep them running.

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At the University of Vermont, Jack studied mechanical engineering and graduated in the Spring 2024. While there, he also explored art and design courses, developing an appreciation for how technical problem solving and creativity can work together. He enjoyed working as a university mathematics tutor, helping students build confidence in approaching complex concepts. His interest in both engineering and artistic design helped shape his appreciation for the creativity and functionality behind amusement park rides.

During his senior year, he worked on a year-long engineering project developing a wheel system for a single-rail transportation system for clean room environments. As part of the project, he conducted extensive research into single-rail roller coaster wheel systems, further growing his interest in coaster engineering and design.

The summer after graduation, Jack attended Skyline Attractions’ SKYnext event for young professionals, his first industry event. During that time, he connected with both the Skyline team and peers he still keeps in touch with. Shortly afterward, he accepted a contract position as a mechanical engineer with Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. In that role, he contributed to engineering projects, assisted with seasonal overhauls of wooden coaster cars, traveled to amusement parks for technical service, and attended additional industry events. Following the completion of his contract, Jack joined Skyline Attractions full time in late 2025 as a mechanical engineer, applying his passion for roller coaster design and engineering while collaborating with a talented and creative team.

Jessie Karp

Quality Assurance Manager

Jessie attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned a degree in Civil Engineering. Early in her career, she developed an interest in testing, standards, and quality systems while working at an ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 accredited material testing laboratory, where she developed custom testing methods, performed N.I.S.T.-traceable calibrations, and conducted testing in accordance with ASTM and ISO standards.

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In 2014, Jessie entered the themed entertainment industry and joined Great Coasters International and Skyline Attractions, supporting the engineering, fabrication, and installation of roller coasters and amusement attractions. After beginning her career with Skyline and GCI, Jessie expanded her experience throughout the themed entertainment and scenic fabrication industries, taking on roles in engineering, project management, fabrication oversight, and quality leadership while supporting projects for major entertainment clients including Disney and Universal.

Jessie returned to Skyline as Quality Control Manager, bringing with her more than a decade of industry experience and a broad background spanning engineering, fabrication, installation, and quality systems. In her current role, she is responsible for supporting quality procedures, inspection processes, and manufacturing controls to help ensure consistency and quality throughout all phases of a project.

In addition to her engineering degree, Jessie is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has completed the OSHA 30-Hour program.

Jared Homer

Design Automation Engineer

Jared grew up in Acworth, Georgia, making Six Flags Over Georgia his home park. Before he was able to use a mouse, his dad built him his first computer with a handful of games, one of those being Roller Coaster Tycoon. This started his love for theme parks and technology as a whole.

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While in high school, Jared participated in FIRST robotics, gaining valuable engineering and manufacturing experience. Through this club, he learned how to design in Inventor and produce sheet metal components using a waterjet. 

Jared studied Mechatronics Engineering at Kennesaw State University, gaining interdisciplinary experience in Software, Electrical, and Mechanical engineering. Through Mechatronics, he was introduced to Control theory and Control systems engineering. At the same time, he worked at Cana Communications assisting in the design and installation of low voltage building systems such as fire alarms and access control. After graduation, he worked as an Electronics Engineer for the Robins Air Force Base 581st Software Engineering Group, writing test programs for various electronic aircraft components. 

At the beginning of 2022, Jared accepted an offer from Skyline to assist in automating the creation of design data and documents for both new product offerings and Great Coasters International, Inc. wooden coasters. Jared also works on dynamic simulations to assist in analysis and control system integration.

In his free time, Jared tinkers with many personal projects. He and his friends design video games using Unity3D, Blender, and C#, having competed in multiple game jams. He also manages a server to host version-controlled development files, his website, and other programming related projects.

Greg Lewis

Design Engineer

At eight years old, Greg had already decided that he wanted to be an engineer, almost entirely because of childhood trips to theme parks like Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Walt Disney World. Although he was too scared to ride them, he was always fascinated by how roller coasters and other rides worked. This spark grew as he learned more about amusement rides from any source he could find. Eventually, he had to experience them for himself, and though he doesn’t remember what his first roller coaster was, one ride was all it took.

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Greg studied mechanical engineering at the University of Virginia and worked as a research assistant in the Bio-Inspired Engineering Research Laboratory during his undergraduate career. After graduating in 2015, he returned to UVA as a graduate student and continued to work in the BIER Lab, where he studied the motion biomechanics of tuna for use in autonomous underwater vehicles for the Office of Naval Research. He graduated in 2017 with an MS.

After graduating, Greg worked for four years as an engineer for the Navy, working on several classes on submarines in both design and construction capacities.

Throughout his career, Greg kept a finger to the pulse of the amusement industry and always looked for an opportunity to pivot into the field that inspired him to become an engineer. He was thrilled to join Skyline Attractions in June 2022 and looks forward to helping inspire the next generation of engineers as he contributes to the next generation of amusement rides.

Tyler Mullins

Engineer / Project Manager

Tyler’s passion for the themed entertainment industry began right down the road from Kings Island in Cincinnati, Ohio. Growing up with a season pass and taking annual family trips to Florida’s many theme parks, he spent his youth sketching ride concepts and building parks in RollerCoaster Tycoon. At 15, he turned that passion into a reality by joining the operations team at Kings Island, eventually supervising ride crews for attractions like Adventure Express and Drop Tower throughout high school and college.

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Tyler attended The Ohio State University, earning his degree in Civil Engineering. While there, he was an active member of the Theme Park Engineering Group, participating in construction tours, group design projects, and the ASTM F24 subcommittee. His professional journey kicked off in 2016 with an internship at Great Coasters International, Inc., where he drafted technical documents and assembly drawings for high-profile coasters like Mystic Timbers and InvadR.

After graduating in December 2017, Tyler joined Skyline Attractions as an Engineering Intern, quickly transitioning to a full-time Design Engineer by March 2018. Over the years, his role has grown to encompass project management for all new Great Coasters International projects, where he proudly oversees Skyline’s involvement from initial concept through to successful completion.

Dustin Sloane

Director of Creative Processes

Dustin’s interest in the amusement industry has driven him from a young age. Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, only a short trip away from Busch Gardens Williamsburg, he gained a passion for amusement parks. Throughout his education, whatever the subject matter, Dustin found some way to apply it to amusement rides. His grade school education gave many opportunities to engage in this passion; whether it be drawing in art class in elementary school, programming class, or CAD in high school. Anything that could be adapted for designing, describing, and visualizing rides and roller coasters was used to do so.

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Throughout high school, his passion for 3D modeling and programming continued to grow outside of the classroom, and it became an even more useful asset towards the goal of designing rides. It was around this time that he first began developing methods and software used to design full custom rides, layout roller coasters, and even simulate the physics of rides.

Dustin entered as a Mechanical Engineer at Pennsylvania State University, set to graduate in 2018. It wasn’t until his second year at Pennsylvania State University that this began to pay off, with his first sale to a European rides engineering firm of software that would be used for custom animations and visualizations of roller coasters. Throughout his spare time at university, he continued to develop software that could be used to design centerlines. With the help of classes in SolidWorks and other CAD suites, he was able to build a portfolio in mechanical design, including a full custom roller coaster train assembly.

During sophomore year in 2016, Dustin attended Skyline’s SKYnext event for young professionals, after which he received an offer for an internship position with the company. In this role, Dustin helped to develop projects from concept to reality, including the development of the earliest designs, animations, and visualizations for Skyline’s first steel roller coaster.

After graduating in 2018, Dustin joined the Skyline team full-time as our Director of Creative Processes. Dustin has been instrumental in many exciting projects, including the development of the Titan Track product for Great Coasters International, Inc. and many of our roller coaster designs.

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