Valhalla Boat Sales Staff

Mike Buczkowski has been a professional in the marine industry for the past 20 years, with a wealth of experience in both the operational and financial sides of business. Mike started his career in a sales position in 1999 at a well-established marina group in central New Jersey, working his way up the ranks in various positions. “These experiences gave me the platform to lead a successful, profitable full service marine boat sales dealership,” says Mike, who went on to serve as Vice President and General Manager of Operations of this company from 2006 to 2011. Reporting directly to the group’s owner, Mike was responsible for the company’s financial performance and all business operations. Service, sales and marina managers reported directly to him as he oversaw day-to-day operations.

Mike learned early on that constant communication and a strong commitment to exceeding customer expectations are pivotal to the success of any boat sales business. In 2012 he co-founded a retail boat sales dealership that he owned and operated through June of 2019 before joining the Viking team and Valhalla Boat Sales North. Mike has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. When not at work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children on the water. Mike also enjoys sportfishing, golfing and racing his sailboat.

Using his vast experience with large sportfishing boats and center consoles, Ryan Higgins leads a Valhalla Boat Sales South team dedicated to providing you with products and services that will exceed your expectations.

Ryan, who is the General Manager of VBSS, has worked in the marine industry for more than 25 years. He joined Viking in 2004 as a member of the company’s demo boat program and learned the boatbuilding trade hands-on as part of the team of shipwrights that built the Viking 74. He also served as mate and then captain on this legendary Viking before becoming a full-time demo captain of the Viking 61.

Ryan has captained a dozen different new Viking models from 54 to 82 feet, winning dozens of tournaments and helping the company design, develop and refine its sportfishing yachts for more than 15 years in his roles as Viking captain, demonstrator boat manager and Southeast Sales Manager.

Affectionately known as “Chief,” Ryan has owned and fished center consoles throughout his life, and has a broad knowledge of what works and what doesn’t in a high-performance center console design (in both fishing and cruising capacities).

“I’ve been fortunate because I’ve been able to spend a great deal of time on a wide variety of boats over the years,” says Ryan. “The experience and knowledge of the Valhalla Boat Sales South team is a great asset, and one that customers will appreciate and benefit from.”

Born and raised in the West Palm Beach area, Tyler Betts has been fishing since he could walk, and working around boats since he was a teen-ager. Tyler got his start in the marine industry building fishing rods for a bait and tackle store at age 15, and he earned his captain’s license several years later.

Before joining VBSS, Tyler worked for nine years as a captain or mate on Viking boats. “As a mate I started out marlin and tuna fishing the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, and then catching marlin and wahoo all throughout the Bahamas,” says Tyler. “I’ve done sailfishing in Isla Mujeres, marlin fishing in the Dominican Republic and striper fishing off Montauk, Long Island.” Tyler has gained invaluable technical experience through his time on Vikings.

A true team player, he is passionate about “supporting the best center consoles on the market.” “All I know is to work hard and be a good person.”

As a third generation Floridian, Joe Rutland’s passion for boating and fishing runs deep. He fondly remembers spending his summers diving for lobster, conch, bottom fishing and island hopping in the Bahamas. “My Dad had a 20-foot cuddy cabin with a single 200-hp Johnson that we’d run over to the Bahamas six to eight times a year from New Smyrna Beach,” says Joe. “This was the start of my lifelong affection for boating. I was hooked.” It’s this passion coupled with professionalism, business experience, a proven sales record and people skills that make Joe ideal for his role as Sportsman Brand Manager for Valhalla Boat Sales South.

Sportsman continues to dominate the “value space” industry, setting the bar for this segment and serving as the perfect complement to VBS’s current center console offerings of Valhalla Boatworks and Contender. Joe is a graduate of the College of Charleston and former award-winning insurance executive who has represented nationally known clients such as the World Champion Golden State Warriors NBA team. “Words can’t describe the excitement and appreciation I have to be on the forefront of something so great with VBS and the partnership we now have with Sportsman.”

Chris Gallagher grew up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and has been boating and fishing since he was 9 years old. In high school, he worked for various marinas and also began mating on commercial fishing, pleasure and charter vessels.

After graduating from high school, he moved to Florida and joined the U.S. Coast Guard, serving on several 210 ft. Coast Guard cutters in search-and-rescue and law enforcement capacities. Chris transitioned back to Cape Cod as a Boatswain’s mate, where he became a heavy-weather-certified Coast Guard coxswain, and piloted 44- and 47-foot self-righting Motor life boats. All the while, he continued fishing commercially and ran a successful charter boat business out of Cape Cod, fishing 12 months a year.

Chris began his experience with Viking in 1998 as the captain of a Viking 50 and has operated almost every Viking model from 42 to 92 feet since then. In total, Chris has 35 years of experience in the marine industry, and has logged thousands of hours and miles on the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf and abroad. In addition to his roles in the Coast Guard and as a private yacht captain, Chris has also been a yacht broker and has been involved in vessel management, overseeing new builds and retrofits. “I’ve gained a well-rounded knowledge of many aspects in the industry through first-hand experience,” says Chris. “There’s no school to learn all of this! It’s hard work and takes dedication.”

As an avid female angler and boating enthusiast, Shelby puts her passion and experience to work in the office and on the water. Shelby grew up in Georgia, and after graduating from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College she moved to Florida to pursue a career in the marine industry.

Before joining Valhalla Boat Sales South, she was a Product Manager designing private label fishing accessories including pliers, filet knives, rods, reels and combos.

Shelby is involved with multiple fishing tournaments and committees, including the Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Tournament and the Marina Casa De Campo Open. She is also a member of the West Palm Beach Fishing Club. She is also an avid offshore angler. I enjoy fishing aboard the 66’ Viking the “Princess Lily” on which I won my first Top Female Angler trophy in 2019 during the Dust ‘Em Off Sailfish Warm-up.

Born and raised in Ocean City, New Jersey, VBS Sales Representative Justin Healey has been enamored with the ocean and fishing for as long as he can remember. “I fell in love with fishing at a young age with my father and brother, going for flounder and striped bass,” says Justin, referring to Viking President and CEO Pat Healey and Sean Healey, also a VBS Sales Representative. “This led to family sailfishing trips to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and Los Suenos, Costa Rica, starting at the age of 7.” Justin has accumulated hundreds of hours operating and fishing center consoles and Vikings. He competes in more than 15 flounder and marlin tournaments annually and is an angler on the Viking demo team.

His father and grandfather, Viking Co-founder Bill Healey, instilled a strong work ethic in Justin and “stressed the importance of being trustful and treating customers with great respect.” He started washing and detailing boats at a young age, and then in high school and college Justin spent summers working at the Viking plant. His duties included cleaning and detailing, fiberglass patch work, quality control and recording data for sea trial testing. When Justin started full-time at Viking and VBS, he underwent intense training that included hands-on experience on the production line.

Justin graduated from Widener University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He played baseball in each of his four years in college, earning All-Mid-Atlantic Region Baseball Honors and making the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Academic All-Area Team.

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A native of South Jersey, Matt Schad grew up fishing with his father and uncle in Sea Isle City. He owned his first boat at age 14 – a classic 17-foot Boston Whaler. “Boating and fishing always seemed like a natural fit for me,” says Matt. “I couldn’t see myself doing anything else other than being in the marine industry and working in a field where I live my passions every day.”

Matt graduated from Saint Joseph’s University, earning his degree in Finance. “I worked for my father in finance for a year after college but realized it was not for me,” says Matt, who often fished with fellow VBS Sales Representatives Sean and Justin Healey as a youth. “But I gained valuable experience, learning how to communicate with clients to determine their needs and form strong relationships with them.”

Matt started as a dock technician at Viking in 2017, prepping boats for their initial launches, recording data during sea trials and preparing the boats for final delivery. A year later, he moved to a sales position at Valhalla Boat Sales and quickly learned the business. His experience boating and fishing in South Jersey gives him useful knowledge about the needs of angling boaters in this area. “Like everyone in the Viking family, I am committed to our products and our customers to the fullest extent.”

Born and raised in Ocean City, New Jersey, Sean Healey knew from an early age that he was destined for the boating and fishing industry. He recalls traveling to the Miami Boat Show at age 14 and feeling right at home interacting with an array of interesting people, from pro athletes to Fortune 500 CEOs. It would be only five years later that Sean would sell his first boat for Valhalla Boat Sales – a classic 33’ Blackfin – at the Atlantic City In-Water Boat Show. “Boat sales was such a natural fit for me,” says Sean. “Growing up in the boating and fishing industry has given me the opportunity to live my passions and develop great friendships.”

Some of his fondest memories have come while on the water with his father [Pat Healey] and brother Justin, including “those days drifting for flounder or approaching a bird play with bass lurking underneath.” Sean credits his dad as well as his grandfather, Bill Healey, for instilling in him the Healey commitment to always put the customer first to ensure a great ownership experience.

Sean started working at Viking in 2011, detailing and preparing yachts for delivery. He takes pride in being an integral part of the team that created Valhalla Boatworks center consoles. He has logged hundreds of hours operating and fishing Vikings, center consoles and other fishing boats. Sean, who earned a business management degree at New Jersey’s Stockton University, is also an angler on the Viking Yachts demo team.