Get to know some of SDL’s people with purpose. Credit: SDL | Allison Bills
We all work to earn a livelihood, but how we choose to use our talents matters.
At SDL, our people are driven by a higher purpose when they come to work each day: to deliver solutions for our nation’s most crucial and consequential missions. As a University Affiliated Research Center, and at our core, SDL works to protect national security and advance scientific discovery. Get to know a few of our team members and what motivates them.
Ashley Roth | Electronics Assembly Technician
How would you describe SDL’s mission?
To me, SDL’s mission is to face unique challenges head-on and work as a team to find solutions that make a difference.
How do you contribute to mission success at SDL?
I contribute by focusing on the small details and working closely with the team to find creative solutions to problems that come up.
What is your purpose in coming to work every day?
I enjoy coming to work because I know I’m taking part in something incredible and important. It drives me to do my best every day.
What makes your work meaningful to you?
As someone who is very passionate about space, I feel incredibly lucky to be able to take part in this industry, both as a fan and a contributor.
How has your job at SDL shaped you, professionally and/or personally?
Working at SDL has made me more confident in my skills and abilities. It’s encouraged me to keep growing in STEM, both professionally and personally.
Tyson Smith | Distinguished Engineer/Scientist
How would you describe SDL’s mission?
SDL is mission focused, customer driven, and technology enabled.
How do you contribute to mission success at SDL?
I ensure that the foundational architecture of our space missions is both efficient and robust. I focus on designing accurate and reliable trajectories, optimizing propulsion system performance, and ensuring our mission profiles align with technical, operational, and scientific objectives. Beyond technical design, I contribute by identifying potential mission risks early, proposing innovative solutions, and staying current on emerging trends in space mission architecture and propulsion technologies.
What is your purpose in coming to work every day?
My main purpose is to contribute meaningfully to projects that have a real-world impact—especially in advancing national security, space exploration, and scientific discovery. Working at SDL gives me the opportunity to apply my skills to something bigger than myself, and that sense of purpose drives me. I also find purpose in continual learning and problem-solving. Every day brings new challenges and opportunities to grow technically and professionally.
What makes your work meaningful to you?
Being able to innovate, create, and build solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems makes my work meaningful.
How has your job at SDL shaped you, professionally and/or personally?
SDL provided me with the opportunity to pursue a PhD and the flexibility to work as an adjunct professor at Utah State University. SDL has also been supportive as I publish journal articles, submit patents, and work on committees and councils that support progress in the space industry.
Kory Kelly | Senior Security Manager
How would you describe SDL’s mission?
Our mission is plain and simple to me: to support national security and the men and women who wear the uniform. And that’s been my own mission in over 30 years of serving my country in this line of work.
How do you contribute to mission success at SDL?
I ensure we are in compliance with Government standards for industrial security at all our locations, which maintains our reputation as a trusted mission partner.
What is your purpose in coming to work every day?
My purpose is to support warfighters and national security. When I left Government work, I specifically looked for careers at organizations like SDL that support Government contracts. It all clicks for me when I encounter veterans like me or active military members. What a noble mission we have. It’s bigger than me, and bigger than SDL.
What makes your work meaningful to you?
It’s meaningful to see the end result—that SDL has made a difference in the warfighter’s ability to identify and eliminate threats.
How has your job at SDL shaped you, professionally and/or personally?
I am at a later stage of my career, so when I joined SDL, I thought I knew a lot. But I have gained so much more business acumen and maturity because of the caliber of people I work with, especially our leadership. I found out how much I don’t know, and it’s been a great learning experience.
John Robson | Senior Program Manager
How would you describe SDL’s mission?
SDL is here to solve technical challenges for the Government, and to be a strategic reserve of domain knowledge that our customer can draw upon to enhance its mission capabilities.
How do you contribute to mission success at SDL?
As a manager and program manager, my job is to ensure we deliver on our promises, accomplish program goals, and take care of our amazing employees.
What is your purpose in coming to work every day?
Based on a long career in the Intelligence Community, I am deeply aware of the threats facing the US. Working at SDL lets me continue to help protect the nation and do my part to counter those threats.
What makes your work meaningful to you?
Our work is directly tied to the missions of our Space Force, other DoD, and Intelligence Community brothers and sisters. We are either embedded in their organizations or provide critical hardware and software to their organizations, and their fight is our fight. We mustn’t let them down.
How has your job at SDL shaped you, professionally and/or personally?
After just shy of 40 years’ combined service in the Army and Intelligence Community, my commitment to DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY was already well formed. My SDL service has only reinforced that commitment, and I am pleased to have landed in an outfit that reflects the virtues of service before self and commitment to excellence.
