Management Team
Marc Ausman
Marc brings a wide range of experience in the software and aviation industries and has been an integral member of the management team of three startups, and co-founded a telecommunications software company. In recent years, Marc has worked in the aviation industry and built his own RV-7. He holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate with Multi-Engine and Instrument ratings.

Prior to working in the aviation industry, Marc was involved with several venture-funded software companies where he played a key role in defining the original product concepts, conducting early market validation, launching new products, and managing product groups through rapid growth.

Marc earned his pilot’s license in college and went on to serve with the U.S. Navy as a Naval Flight Officer on board the P3-C Orion. He holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a BS from California Polytechnic University.


Kevin DeVries
Kevin most recently worked at Boeing SVS in the Real-Time Systems group, developing advanced tactical systems for the military. He has over 15 years experience in the design, development, and testing of state-of-the-art embedded and real-time processing systems. He’s been an integral part in the development of several airborne weapons programs for the Air Force and other government agencies. While finishing his Masters in Computer Science, Kevin developed the flight software for the Imager on the Mars Pathfinder. He has also been instrumental in the development of mission-critical software for medical devices.

Kevin has helped define and institute software process guidelines based on the specifications outlined by the FDA and SEI. He holds a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Arizona and a BS in Computer Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Jay Skolnik, PE
Jay is a Professional Licensed Electrical Engineer, and is an engineering consultant to the Company. He has spent so much time working with Vertical Power that we decided to make him an honorary part of the management team, as his designs and inputs have been invaluable. With over twenty-five years of experience in the electronics industry, Jay has developed a multitude of products for the military, defense, avionics, aerospace, commercial, industrial, medical, and automotive industries. He has designed advanced and reliable avionics for several military programs at Honeywell Defense Avionics Systems, such as the HH-60, CT-II, OH-58, ASE, CH-47, F-18, B-1, AH-64, V-22, and MAV FCS projects.  Certified by NARTE (The National Association of Radio & Telecommunications Engineers, Inc.), Jay is an expert ESDC (Electrostatic Discharge Control) Consultant. Jay holds a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rolla, Missouri.

Jake Dostal
Jake has long history of involvement with electronics. From the time he built radio kits as a child until he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering, Jake has had a long-time passion for electronics. Jake has worked at Bechtel SAIC and Honeywell Defense Avionics Systems on military fighter aircraft displays.

He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and was graduated with high honors. He also earned a minor in math.


Board of Advisors
Gordon Pratt
Gordon is the President of Chelton Flight Systems which manufactures one of the leading EFIS systems used in the experimental and certified aircraft markets. Gordon founded Sierra Flight Systems in 1998 to build EFIS systems for experimental aircraft and the company was later acquired by Chelton. Gordon was awarded the 2002 NASA "Turning Goals into Reality" Award for Aviation Safety, 2003 Newsmaker of the Year by Aviation International News, 2004 Aerospace and Defense Executive of the Year award, and 2006 EAA August Raspet Award for the advancement of aviation. He holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate with Multi-Engine, Land/Sea, and Instrument ratings.

John Nystrom
John is a retired Air Force fighter pilot who flew the Sleek, Silver, Supersonic Super Sabre (aka the Hun); the Rhino; the Warthog; and the Electric Jet. He spent a year and a half building his RV-7A and has been flying it for the last few years. During the project, he liked the freedom of design and execution associated with experimental aircraft and the availability of cutting-edge technology. He has been very involved in helping to define the product, feature set, and user interface.

Doug Reeves
Doug built an RV-6 experimental aircraft in the late nineties and has flown it over 500 hours. He started vansairforce.net in 1997, and it has grown to be the top web site & community for experimental aircraft builders. In addition to his experience owning an experimental aircraft, Doug is intimately familiar with the RV crowd. Note that Doug provides no special dispensation to Vertical Power on the VAF web site.

Steve Corcoran
Steve co-founded Lumidigm, a small biometrics company, and currently holds the position of Chief Engineer. He has over 20 years experience in the design, development, and testing of state-of-the-art embedded real-time processing systems. He has served in various leadership capacities including the Engineering Director for the Real-Time Systems group at Boeing SVS Inc., project manager for the Air Force Maui Optical Site Tracker Development, and as signal processing leader for the Advanced Airborne Gimbal Sensor System, INSPECT Helicopter Inspection System, Small Inertial Stabilization System and Low-Cost Space Interferometer programs. Steve provides engineering support and advice to Vertical Power.