Meet Our Team

Davidson A. Ward | President

In 2016, Davidson Ward observed the need for a new, agile, consulting firm that could guide the railroad industry into the 21st Century with professionalism, creativity, and transparency.

Since then, he has expanded FMW Solutions from its three founding partners into a firm employing over 20 rail professionals who specialize in dozens of crafts, including industrial and short line railroad operations, grant writing, engineering, economic development, non-profit and cultural institutions, and strategic planning. With 17 years of experience in the industry, Davidson helps serve hundreds of clients and multi-million dollar projects in over 30 states.

Davidson also serves as Chairman of the National Academies of Science Transportation Research Board Committee on Rail Rolling Stock and Motive Power. He graduated from the University of Minnesota summa cum laude with a BS in Architecture.

D. Shane Meador | VP - Mechanical

Shane brings more than 25 years of mechanical and operations experience from both Class I and Class III shortline railroads. Following an eight-year-long tour in the U.S. Navy and an honorable discharge as Petty Officer First Class, Shane spent nearly 14 years as a leading machinist and then Gang Leader at Norfolk Southern's Chattanooga Diesel Shop, where then-CEO Wick Moorman selected him to manage special railroad projects for Norfolk Southern from 2010 to 2013.

As an accomplished technician and leader, Shane oversees FMW's expanding machine shop in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, and a core group of machinists, fabricators, craftsmen, and specialists in railroad freight cars,  passenger cars, and locomotive troubleshooting and repair.  Shane’s leadership and team-focused management have led multiple successful projects, with a special emphasis on restructuring and guiding troubled projects that have been “derailed” by cost overruns or delays. Shane provides realistic and achievable project plans, including accurate estimates, cost-saving solutions, and industry best practices.

Shane also serves as Vice President of FMW Rail Operations, where he holds 49 CFR 240 and 242, locomotive engineer and conductor certifications, and is a crew operations trainer. He also holds certifications for Railroad Track Inspector, Machine Tool Technology, The American Welding Society, and has completed multiple level leadership and management training courses. He has received education and training from Central Texas College, The University of Phoenix, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga State Technical College, and the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers Journeyman program.

Wolfgang Fengler, MSME | VP - Engineering

Wolf Fengler’s technical expertise and engineering work have helped reshape railroad mechanical engineering and alternative fuel energy research since co-founding FMW Solutions.

With experience at NASA, and General Electric, and in working for half a dozen railroads in the United States and Germany, Wolf is the project lead for gas and hydrogen fuel cell and energy propulsion clients and is intimately familiar with EPA, FRA, AAR, APTA, and Amtrak standards. Fengler’s notable work at FMW includes engineering for steam and heritage projects, as well as alternative fuel research and locomotive construction.

Wolf’s professional career began with modeling the heat transfer and volumetric modeling of the NASA Advanced Inflatable Airlock, as well as the development of PEM fuel cell power systems. In his time with General Electric, Wolf developed a solid oxide fuel cell system controls and balance-of-plant package and served on the site safety committee, and earned his Six Sigma Green Belt with special training in Lean Manufacturing and Design for Manufacturing and Quality. 

In addition, Wolf has 23 years of experience in the rail preservation industry, with additional command of historic steam locomotives and passenger cars. He is a cum laude graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles with a BS in Design & Control and an MS in Heat & Mass Transfer.

Chris Homco | Vice President of Operations

Chris brings a decade of comprehensive railroad industry experience to his role as Director of Operations at FMW Solutions, where he oversees multiple project managers and coordinates operational initiatives across the company's diverse portfolio of heritage railroad and consulting projects, as well as modern railroad compliance, fundraising, mechanical work, and efficiency improvement programs.

Before joining FMW Solutions, Chris served as Director of Onboard Experiences and Events at the Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad and as Membership Manager at the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, where he remains active as a volunteer and leader. His leadership has helped launch three independent tourist rail operations that continue to operate successfully today. Through strategic grant writing and review, Chris has helped secure over $47 million in grant funding for railroad projects and has authored multiple FRA compliance programs and standard operating procedures for Class II and III railroads, heritage railways, and tourist operations.

Chris holds FRA Part 242 Conductor certification and serves on several industry committees, including the Railroads of Indiana lobbying committee, the ASLRRA Safety and Training Committee, the Small Railroad Committee, and is a founding member of the ASLRRA Heritage and Tourist Working Group. His work spans railroad operations, safety and regulatory compliance, mechanical oversight, grant writing, volunteer management and retention, and organizational development.

Chris earned his undergraduate degree from Purdue University and holds a Master's degree in Non-Profit Administration from Louisiana State University Shreveport. He believes deeply in protecting and preserving our country's industrial heritage, recognizing that lessons learned from historic operations can positively influence commerce and operations on modern railroads.

Roy Wullich | Manager of Operations and Finance

With over 40 years in accounting and finance, including 20 years in rail operations, passenger car management, and historic preservation, Roy has held various senior management positions at several international companies including Intel, KPMG, and Price Waterhouse. Roy’s service in rail preservation includes leadership and advisory positions with Canadian Pacific, Railroad Passenger Car Alliance, The Lexington Group, Thee American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners, The Tom E. Dailey Foundation, Nashville Steam Preservation Society, and service with the New Kent County Sheriff’s Department.

Stephen M. Hooper | Director of Training & Operations

Mr. Hooper offers more than 30 years of experience in Class I and regional railroad operations, training, and management. In addition to holding a current 49 CFR 240 and 242 certification, Mr. Hooper is a Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers and experienced in the management and training of train crews.

Hooper began his career with the CP Rail in 1987, spending the first decade of his career as a conductor and trainman. He advanced to an Operations Manager with the Network Management Center in Calgary, where he was responsible for train makeup, train management, power distribution, dispatching, and crew management across four busy subdivisions. It was in this role that Hooper served on a special CP task force that led the study of motive power and train makeup, including the appropriate use of Distributed Power to effectively control in-train forces. 

Hooper then advanced to serve as a Road Foreman of Engines at a remote terminal in rural Ontario. Following that assignment, Hooper took over as Yard Manager for the busy Alyth Yard in Calgary, where he managed operations of the Calgary Hump Operation (2,500 cars/day), implemented belt back technology and training, developed freight operating plans for train operations in Western Canada, and managed the core team of yard leadership. Hooper ended his career with CP as a Superintendent/Road Foreman of the Laggan & Red Deer Subdivisions, where he successfully brought down reportable injuries from 2.5 to 1.3%, provided locomotive and conductor training, and oversaw a workforce of more than 350 T&E forces.

Following this time with CP, Hooper took a position with the Panama Canal Railway, where he rose to the position of Director of Operations from Manager of Rules, Safety & Training. At the Panama Canal Railway, Hooper was responsible for implementing GCOR on the railroad, training and qualifying the engineers, dispatchers, and conductors on the railroad, developing a safety plan across all crafts, seeing through the implementation of PTC, and managing MOW and T&E operations on the railroad. 

After leaving the Panama Canal Railway, Hooper joined FMW to serve as one of its rules, training, and compliance experts. In this role, Hooper has assisted with studies ranging from the implementation and training of new railroad rulebooks to more than 80 T&E staff to motive power and dispatching planning for a new-start regional railroad.