Executive Bios
Mr. Jack Sarnicki
CEO/Board Member
Jack Sarnicki has more than 35 years of experience in technology development for defense applications. Prior to joining Helicon, Jack was President and COO for Simigon, Inc., a defense training and simulation company. Jack’s management experience is diverse. He has held senior management positions within small startup tech companies and various military manufacturing companies. He was also a senior member of the world’s largest technology consulting company, Accenture Aerospace & Defense. During his 25-year career as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, he was a command pilot, test pilot and test engineer for the development of leading-edge technology for the U.S. Air Force. Jack holds three technical commercial patents.
Dr. David Reid
Founder/CTO/Board Member
David Reid is Co-Founder and CTO of Helicon Chemical Company. He received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Central Florida, where he specialized in energetic and reactive materials. He also received the prestigious AVS National Student Award for his contributions to the field of nanotechnology. He has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, conference proceedings, and patents. In 2018, he was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science. At Helicon, David directs the company’s technology vision and is responsible for the product development team’s successful efforts in technology commercialization.
Bill Schonk
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. William “Bill” Schonk has more than 20 years of finance and business operations experience in the defense industry, including 15 years with Lockheed Martin and 5 years with Boeing. In addition, Mr. Schonk has almost 10 years experience managing global business operations for such high-tech firms as Oracle, Intuit & Symantec. He has also served as the Chief Financial Officer for Entia Ventures, L-3 Communications ALST division and the Canaveral Port Authority in Florida. Mr. Schonk holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Florida’s Fisher School of Accounting and an MBA from Rollins College.
Admiral USN (Ret.) Bill Moran
Board Chairman
Admiral Bill Moran is a retired four-star officer with over thirty-eight years of service and experience. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he began his career as a Naval Aviator and rose rapidly to hold command leadership positions at every level of the Navy, finishing as the Navy’s Vice Chief of Naval Operations.
Throughout his distinguished career Bill was known for being a change agent possessing a deep understanding of talent management practices, force design and employment, and development across the department of the Navy.
After retiring from the Navy in 2019 Bill founded WFM Advisors, LLC, where he seeks opportunities to serve where his interests, experience and the nation’s security needs intersect.
Admiral USN (Ret.) Bill Moran
Advisory Board Member
General John Murray is a retired four-stat officer with nearly 40 years in the U.S. Army. General Murray held key staff positions including Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8 and Director, Force Management, both in the Pentagon. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he served in several high-level roles including Brigade Combat Team Commander, Corps Operations Officer during “The Surge” and as a Deputy Commanding General of the 1st Cavalry Division. He also served as the Deputy Commander for Support / Commander of Task Force 3 in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and Resolute Support. His last assignment was as the 1st Commander of the Army’s Futures Command charged with leading the Army’s modernization effort.
“I am incredibly excited to join the Helicon Team. We are at a critical time in our Nation’s history where the ability to rapidly and affordably produce munitions, and importantly the associated supply chain, are more important than ever. Helicon stands at the intersection of making it all possible!”