ABOUT US
Engineers first. Always.
Our story starts in 1995 at Prevue Networks in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A small software team delivered broadcast automation and real-time media overlay systems before “cloud” was a marketing word. We learned how to ship hard software under real deadlines.
In 2009 we formed SLA Professionals. Same core people, plus a few more engineers we’d worked with and trusted across decades of projects. We built the firm around one idea: developers and architects should talk directly to clients, not sit behind a project manager repeating a slide deck.
Everyone here writes code, designs systems, or ships infrastructure. There is no management layer between the engineer and the customer. That’s not a selling point — it’s just how we prefer to work.
We’ve delivered across healthcare, government, military, entertainment, non-profit, energy, and telecom. Not because we chase verticals, but because the problem is usually the same — confused systems, fragile integrations, and software that outlasts the team that wrote it.
SLA is 6 partners and 3 associates. That’s intentional. We keep overhead flat, decisions fast, and communication honest. We’re not trying to be the cheapest option. We’re trying to be the one that finishes.
1995
Prevue Networks
Broadcast automation and real-time media overlay systems in Tulsa, where downtime was visible immediately.
2009
SLA Professionals
The same engineering-first approach became a firm built around direct access to the people doing the work.
Today
6 partners, 3 associates
Small by design: architects, developers, and infrastructure engineers without a sales or PM buffer.
OPERATING MODEL
No translator in the middle.
When you talk to SLA, you talk to someone who can read the code, explain the dependency, and make the tradeoff. That changes the shape of a project. Estimates get more honest. Architecture decisions are made with implementation details in view. Meetings stay short because the person answering is the person responsible.
We fit best with teams that need senior engineering help without rebuilding their org chart around an agency. We can lead the work, pair with internal developers, or hand off a system once the sharp edges are removed.
LEADERSHIP
The people who actually build the work.
No sales department, no project managers translating what you just said into something the team will understand next week. You talk to the engineer who designs the system, writes the code, and answers the phone at 10 PM when something breaks.
Partner / Data Architect
Don Kern
42 years • Resident Old Guy
Data architect. Owns the data-intense layers across enterprise engagements — schema design, data contracts, and the integration logic that keeps those systems reliable. The person you want designing a schema before anyone writes a query.
Managing Partner / Integration
Doug Naufel
32 years • Integration Specialist
Architect and lead integrator across SLA's engagements. Owns the integration strategy for multi-system environments — third-party systems, APIs, compliance frameworks, and the contracts that make systems reliable. Built the architecture discipline that transforms complex integration work into maintainable backends.
Software Architect / Partner
Eric Cockrell
42 years • Hawaii Tour Guide
One of the original engineers from the Prevue Networks days. The longest-tenured member of the team. Brings the institutional memory — knows why the old system was built that way and what still survives. Focused on backend C#, sharepoint, and integrations, and the quiet work that holds production together.
Software Engineer / Founding Member
Erik Beach
19 years • Pragmatic Builder
Architect focused on backend systems and platform work. Brings depth in modern frameworks across regulated and enterprise environments. Comfortable with the kind of platform complexity where the detail is the whole point.
Software Engineer
Zach La Lond
21 years • Senior Coffee Brewer
Full-stack engineer across TypeScript, C#, and SQL. Works surface layers and integration points — frontends, custom handlers, and the APIs connecting systems. Focused on translating complex requirements into stable, maintainable code.
Software Architect / Founding Member
Jeremy Lakey, Sr.
33 years • Architecture & Delivery
Architect-director at SLA. Owns cloud infrastructure strategy, CI/CD pipeline design, and ALM architecture across regulated environments. Drives technology selection with implementation accountability — the person who has to live with the call.