Administration Team
Brian NicholsPresident & CEO

Brian Nichols is the founder and CEO of Sky Systemz. Brian is a McGraw-Hill author of "Taking Charge with Value Investing (2013)" and former fund manager who founded Sky as a spinoff of his former analytics company. “Sky is the greatest investment of my life because there is such a great need for medium sized businesses who want personalized service and cloud based software but need help to adopt. We are serving such a massive need.” Brian and his wife Natalie live outside Lexington, KY and have been married for 15 years and have two children. Nichols is a philanthropist, angel inventor, and enjoys traveling, spending time with his family, and working with small companies to grow their business larger.

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Natalie NicholsDirector of Sky Outreach

Natalie is originally from Pikeville, KY and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Walden University. “We have been blessed, but it wasn’t always like this. Sky was created to better our communities and those around us. It’s grown bigger than we ever expected. Every night we’d dream, but also talk about these plans; plans that have turned into action- this business.” In her free time, Natalie enjoys spending time with Brian and her boys, Austin and Christian. She also enjoys singing, travelling, Chinese food and Kentucky Wildcats and Alabama football.

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Slade RansdellDirector of HR

Slade is from Harrodsburg, KY and attended High Point University receiving a BS Biology, Chemistry Minor. After two years at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine he withdrew to pursue a career with Sky Systemz. “Building out the online stores and carry out-delivery services for our hometown restaurants during the lockdown was really rewarding. I really think we helped them navigate the turbulence of transitioning through the various COVID regulations.” In college, Slade started a philanthropy initiative with his fraternity that raised about $50,000/year for disabled veterans. Slade’s academic research has also been published regarding “long bone nonunion” with UK’s orthopedic department.

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Erik Van DootinghDirector of Sky Financial

Erik is from Cincinnati, OH and has a master’s degree in Financial Engineering. After spending over a decade in the FHLB System in a variety of roles from quantitative analysis to portfolio strategy, Erik was intrigued by the opportunity offered by Sky. “I’ve had a long-time interest in the payments industry, credit and debit card rewards, and interchange fees. I am excited to help lead the development of Sky’s financial products”. When Erik isn’t at Sky, he enjoys WW2 history, football, traveling, and spending time with his wife and two kids.

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Don KatzmanBusiness Development Manager

Don has a Bachelors of Business Administration from Hanover College. The reason he chose Sky was because it was an opportunity that challenged him, and he likes the culture of friendship and success. He enjoys playing softball, golf, and chasing around his granddaughter.

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Matt DawahareSky Outreach Coordinator

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Iris MitchellExecutive Assistant

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Michael FollmerInstall & Recovery Specialist

Michael graduated from Mercer county senior high school, and attended Harrodsburg Vocational school where he studied Website and graphic design. He chose to work for SKY because he wanted to further his career and create a better life for his children. He enjoys spending time with friends and family.

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Sales Team
Lynn WeberDirector of Partnerships

Lynn has worked in B2B Tech for over 10 years and responsible for all worldwide commercial business included both sales and operations. Lynn grew up outside of St. Louis MO and calls Union MO her home. After a 20 year career in education, Lynn changed paths and earned her degree in Business Organizational Leadership with an emphasis on Professional Development/Organizational Culture and Change. Lynn was excited to join Sky’s growing the business "I love to working at Sky because we are providing businesses the cutting edge tools they need to streamline their business and save money.” When Lynn is not at Sky, she enjoys time with family and Cardinals baseball!

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Steve BuggNational Director of Sales

Steve Bugg manages all of the company’s account managers who are responsible for more than 1,000 business customers and the 100 plus we acquire each month. Steve is developing the reseller and partner distribution network to provide training and professional support to individuals and companies around the nation that are now selling and offering Sky Systemz service to their business customers. You can contact Steve if you are a business owner in the greater Lexington, KY area interested in using Sky or if you are interested in selling/referring Sky services to merchants elsewhere in the U.S. at steve@skysystemz.com

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German SanchezSenior Director of Outbound Sales

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Jason ReedVice President, Enterprise Sales

Jason has been in sales for 18 years across multiple industries. He has spent the last 10 years in leadership positions helping grow and scale sales organizations to success by achieving large revenue targets. Jason was born and raised in Hebron, KY where he currently lives with his wife and 3 children. He is an ex-college athlete and sports fanatic who enjoys coaching football, baseball, going to church, and hanging out with his family. Jason will be responsible for leading sales, sales operations, and marketing efforts for the Sky Enterprise division. Jason says “He has been blessed with this opportunity and looks forward to turning Sky into a sales and marketing machine!”

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Adam RamirezCRM Specialist

Adam is a graduate of Houston County High School in Erin, TN, where he currently resides with his wife, Sarah, and his three children. Sky Systemz gave me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and into my calling. I used to regret waking up for work and now I get to do something I truly enjoy. Adam is the sales manager for all of Tennessee.

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Tyler StephensInbound Sales Manager

Tyler Stephens grew up and lives in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. He attended and played baseballl for the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, KY. He studied Kinesiology until an injury put a halt to my career, and decided to join the team here at Sky. “I was interested in Sky because of it’s potential from the start...assessing customers needs and outperforming the expectation.” When he’s not at Sky, he enjoys working out and being on the lake.

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Joey StoneRegional Sales Mgr.

Joey Stone manages all of the merchant accounts in our Eastern Kentucky region, a 75 mile radius that consists of 100s of business customers that surround Pikeville, KY. While also providing customer service and on-site support, Joey is developing the resell and partner distribution network to provide training and professional support to individuals and companies around the nation that are now selling and offering Sky's service to their business customers.

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Randy PartonRegional Sales Manager

Randy is from Marion, IL, where he likes to hunt, fish, and ride motorcycles. He was drawn to Sky Systemz when he met Brian Nichols and saw the vision of what we could accomplish as a team in the payment industry. Our customer service is second to none and we have very close working relations with our merchants that truly set us apart from many other processing companies and we are always looking to improve our product.

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Misty PorterInbound Sales Manager

Misty is from Smithland, KY. She is married and the mother of three grown children. “The very first business I signed with Sky saved over $1500 a month! They are a small business in a very SMALL town. They were thinking, “how could they save money to stay afloat?’ Our services have helped them tremendously” When Misty isn’t saving our customer money she enjoys hiking, Jeep rides and is a Second Regional Basketball Official for the State of Kentucky.

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Teri TraynorRegional Sales Manager

Teri was born and raised in Bowling Green, MO. She has an undergraduate degree in Education from Culver-Stockton College. She also has post-graduate degrees in Administration & Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri and Saint Louis University. “I love the feel within the company, the way all employees work together to help each other, and the comany vision!” When she’s not at Sky, Teri is traveling with her friends, attending Joey Wray shows, or spending time with her three sons and an English Bulldog named Cupcake. Fun fact: Her family is full of musicians - her son is country music artist Joey Wray and her nephews are the Brothers Robinson!

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Todd DuffRegional Sales Manager

Todd, while originally from eastern Kentucky, currently lives in Bowling Green, KY with his wife and son. Todd earned his Bachelor’s of Science from Morehead State University. Prior to Sky, he worked in the sales industry for 10 years. “I was drawn to Sky for the opportunity to help businesses in South and Central Kentucky succeed and grow.” When he’s not busy at work, you can find him attending local sporting events, traveling, golfing, or golfing while traveling!

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Shianne BlackOutsource Sales Coordinator

Shianne Black loves the outdoors and reaching out to our customers.

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Richard BaldwinRegional Sales Manager

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Marketing Team
Mike CarrSenior Director Marketing & Advertising

Mike is from the Cincinnati, OH area and has a Ph.D. in Business Administration & Marketing Management. “I was drawn to Sky because of my entrepreneurial spirit. There’s just something special about building a business as you go. Fewer barriers and a lot of outside the box thinking.” His marketing experience includes 20 years in the entertainment industry, and 5 years in retail as a private consultant. Additionally, Mike is an adjunct instructor of Marketing at the University of Cincinnati facilitating online graduate level courses including Marketing for Managers, Marketing Ethics and Marketing Strategy. When he isn’t doing marketing, he is a nationally recognized performing artist known as OMEB (One Man Electrical Band).

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Erin HarrisMarketing Creative Assistant

Erin is originally from Akron, Ohio and currently resides in Cincinnati. She has a degree in Visual Communications Design with Marketing and Biblical Studies minors from Cedarville University. “Sky has not only welcomed me into their company, but has given me an opportunity to learn and grow. I have the ability to be creative and use my marketing skills at Sky, which gets me excited for all the projects that come my way”. When Erin is not designing at her computer she is either exploring Cincinnati, baking cookies, watering her many plants, or spending time with her friends and family.

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Operations Team
Andrew RiceDirector of Customer Success

Andrew attended Kentucky Christian University where he played baseball and received a degree in Business Administration. Andrew started at Sky in July 2020 in the role of Support Coordinator. Over the last year and a half, Andrew has created Sky’s formal support team and been a key player in ensuring the success of our merchants. In November, Andrew was promoted to the role of Director of Merchant Success. This new role will oversee the Support, Fulfillment, and Cloud Servicez teams. The goal of the new Merchant Success group is to ensure that the onboarding process for new merchants is seamless and that current merchants receive fast and accurate support that exceeds all expectations. Andrew has enjoyed working with and getting to know so many of our merchants that he looks at them as extended family.

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Jeffrey Lukken Jr. Strategic Account Manager

Jeffrey Lukken was born in LaGrange GA where he attended Lagrange High School. After high school Jeffrey attended the University Of Georgia where he majored in Consumer Economics. While at UGA, Jeffrey started a his own commercial flooring business and has worked in a number of sales and marketing related roles since. In his free time, Jeffrey can be found on the golf course or at the beach with friends. “I’m really excited to be joining the SkySystemz team. It really feels like you are a part of something special”.

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Jessica NewsomeExecutive Director Merchant Services

Jessica is from Pikeville, Kentucky and graduated from Eastern Kentucky University She likes to spend time with Family, travel, go to concerts and events. She came to Sky due to the great opportunity with a company that has great growth potential. In the demands of owning a business there are some things you don’t have time to worry about and if there is something a Merchant has a question about, Jessica makes sure we can provide the answer to solve the issue as quick as possible so you can focus on what matters most-the customer.

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Jenn CarltonMerchant Services Specialist

Jenn was born in Chicago, IL and raised in Pikeville, KY until 1996 - when she moved to Cleveland, TN. She is married with two sons and two grandchildren. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bryan College and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Human Resources. “I have 21 years of experience in retail which has allowed me to develop sufficient knowledge in Human resources, Sales, and Customer Service that I enjoy implementing in my role with Sky Systemz!” Jenn loves spending time with her family and friends. Jenn also enjoys spending time outdoors, especially the mountains. She loves watching Tennessee football and UK Wildcats basketball.

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Sawyer RansdellSolutions Architect

My name is Weston Sawyer Ransdell. I am a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and currently live in Lexington, KY. I joined the Sky Systemz marketing team because of its unique hybrid nature. Providing businesses with the synergy of functional payment processing and innovative cloud-based technology just makes sense for businesses of any kind. When I’m not sharing the Sky Systemz platform, I enjoy exercising and water sports.

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Chris ThompsonCustomer Success Specialist

Chris was born and raised in Lexington, KY. He attended the University of Kentucky and graduated in 2020. “Joining Sky was a unique opportunity for me and has been a blessing since day one. Being able to to work in a growing business keeps things very interesting every day as well as a good connection with those working around me.” He enjoys being in the outdoors and with his family and friends.

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Josh Bolen Strategic Account Manager

I'm going to be the newest strategic account manager here at Sky Systemz in Lexington, Kentucky! I am a very friendly and goal oriented person, I also love the feeling of being the guy that people can come to for any questions and also someone they can trust. In my spare time, I love doing anything in the outdoors whether it is fishing, hunting, or playing golf. Ive been married to my wife Kiana of 2 years, and we have a little puppy named Benji. Im super excited for the journey Sky will take me on!

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JP GoundSales Engineer

JP Gound is a highly experienced sales professional with over 5 years of experience in the field. He has a proven track record of success, having consistently exceeded his sales targets. In addition to his sales experience, JP also has 6 years of project management experience, which has helped him develop strong leadership and organizational skills. He has also spent the last 2 years honing his sales training skills, making him an expert at mentoring and developing sales teams. JP is a dedicated and results-driven professional who is committed to helping his clients achieve their goals.

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Cheryl FrasureCustomer Relations Manager

Cheryl Frasure is an Operations Audit Advisor and has been with Sky Systemz since the beginning! She is a 2000 graduate of Pikeville High School and has most recently completed a Master’s Degree from the University of Pikeville. Cheryl says, “Sky Systemz has allowed me to not only excel in my career but also the chance to learn so much about the industry and work alongside the most brilliant people in the world! Sky Systemz has given me so much to be thankful for and I feel very lucky to be a part of such an amazing team. We are doing BIG things at Sky and I love being a part of it!” In her free time, Cheryl likes to travel, spend time with her family and is always up for learning something new!

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Tristan DawahareFulfillment Manager

Tristan has an Associates in Science Degree from Bluegrass Community and Technical College “I was intrigued at the opportunity of helping an up and coming company reach new heights, while working in such a well structured and friendly work environment.” He enjoys spending time with family, watching sports, playing video games, and being outdoors.

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Alex PotterSupport Coordinator

Alex is Kentucky born and rasied, and calls Lexington home. She has a wide range of experience in customer service, the healthcare industry and technical support. “What excites me about working for Sky is all of the possibilities...the possibilities and the people.” She has two kiddos and two cats. She is a huge Star Wars nerd and a die hard for Queen. She enjoys reading, playing board games, and spending times with her family and cats.

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Kristin HuntImplementation Specialist

Kristin is originally from Ohio, but currently resides in Paris, KY with her husband and two children. She received her Associates degree from Maysville Community Technical College. “The biggest thing that excites me is how family orientated and flexible the company is. I do not feel as if I would ever have to choose between being an employee or a mom.” In her free time she enjoys volunteering at her children’s school and doing anything outdoors with her family.

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Peyton OwensCustomer Success Agent

I am from Harrodsburg, KY. I studied IT and web development at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. I was interested in troubleshooting and working to fix any technical problems within Sky Systemz. I am a big UK and 49ers Football fan!

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Product Team
Mike MalottChief Product Officer

“I was drawn to Sky Systemz because I loved the idea of being part of a startup. It’s given me the opportunity to head up campaigns and product launches and work with an engaged team to help small and medium sized businesses.” Mike is responsible for the design and development of Sky's software programs. Malott and his team provide product and technical support to our customers while also using customer feedback to dictate our development roadmap. Malott is an essential part of our team who started his career with Sky Systemz after graduating with a bachelor's degree in business informatics as a data and research analyst. He quickly climbed the ranks to become one of the most important pieces to our unprecedented success. In his free time he enjoys anything outdoors; camping, hunting, four wheeling and football.

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Roger StatonDeveloper

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Mikelle RobinsonFrontend Developer

Mikelle is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, but currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada. She trained in Software Development at CodingCareer and is certified in Management Essentials with Harvard Business School. “As a software developer, I appreciate the open and collaborative environment of Sky. Every team member’s voice is valued in the process of innovating our product, resulting in the best possible user experience for our customers.” In her free time she loves trips to the museums, especially during her annual trip to Washington, D.C. Of course as a Bostonian, she loves supporting her New England Patriots!

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Braxton BradshawProject Manager

Braxton graduated from Mercer County Senior High School. About Sky, he says: “SkySystemz has given me a golden opportunity to express my creative ability, and apply my leadership skills. I don’t believe I would have such an opportunity with any other company, they recognize the potential in me.” He enjoys gaming, reading, and working out. He also enjoys investing into cryptocurrency, and has begun learning a few programming languages.

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Jonathan TurnerProject Manager

Johnathan is from Danville, KY and joined the Sky team with over 14 years of customer technical service and retail experience. “I chose Sky because I enjoyed the idea of helping build a company and putting my skills the test in an ever-evolving field.” In his free time, you can usually find him lounging around the house, out at trivia nights, or saving Eorzea in Final Fantasy 14.

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Joel SteeleSenior Software Developer

Joel grew up moving around a lot but now lives in Lexington, KY. He has a Bachelors in Business Admin from Campbellsville Universtiy and a Masters in Computer Science from NKU, with five years of experience in software development. “I love working on something that is constantly changing and improving, where new ideas are encouraged.” When he’s not at work, you can find Joel playing guitar, enjoying his video games or rock climbing.

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FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Sky offers next day funding, so Sky Paymentz customers will receive any payments made on Monday by 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday. Any payments during the weekend will be received on Tuesday. More information can be found in our help center - https://support.skysystemz.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408459370644-When-will-I-typically-receive-deposits

Yes. After completing the 5 minute registration process you can immediately start processing payments by using the Sky Systemz mobile application ( App Store) ( Google Play) or by logging into SkySystemz.com you can take a manual payment. You will then receive an email and phone call from your dedicated account manager to assist with any hardware purchases and the setup of your Sky account.

Sky asks basic business and personal questions during registration, such as name, address, EIN, and banking information. It takes approximately 5 minutes to complete our registration and begin processing payments. However, Sky uses next generation underwriting and verification technology to identify you as the business owner and to verify your business. If you do not answer questions accurately, we may ask additional questions or require documentation such as processing statements, drivers license, or business licenses for verification purposes.

Sky first attempts to verify your identity and ownership with the last 4 of your social security number. If we are unable to verify, we will require the full social security number to satisfy federal and state guidelines surrounding Knowing Your Customer (KYC) and Anti Money Laundering (AML).

Sky does sell equipment and offers special discount incentives for merchants that provide three recent processing statements. Sky also offers a $50 credit for every $5,000 processed in the first billing cycle for hardware purchases made during the first billing cycle. You can make purchases from the Sky online store

    Sky’s service is nationwide but our physical presence to offer personalized customer service and POS setups is in three states, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana and the metropolitan areas of St. Louis and Orlando.

    Yes, Sky can assist with the transition and as a subscriber to Cloud Servicez we can rebuild your website if you prefer. This will keep all of your services, both in store and online in one place.

    Yes. Sky Cloud Servicez offers two plans with Pro and Pro+ to build, host, and maintain custom websites. The typical buildout time is 1-2 weeks.

    Sky’s support team and your dedicated account manager are available by text, email, or phone. We are always here when you need us.

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