Kyle Brown - Founder, Previous President - Happily Retired
Kyle Brown, making his way to Alaska in the early 80's after a series of interesting events, found himself employed at a local drilling company. The owner of this company decided to retire and sell his equipment fleet in the mid-80's, and Kyle had amassed enough capital to purchase one of the drill rigs and some tooling from his then boss. Using a baby-blue Volkswagen as his support vehicle, and outfitting it with steel roof racks to haul around tooling, Kyle got to work and began operating as Discovery Drilling and incorporating it in 1986. Kyle's hard work, many talents, skills, and dedication to his trade are directly responsible for growing Discovery Drilling into what it is today. Since its inception as a one-man show in the mid-80's, Discovery Drilling has grown to employ upwards of 40 hard working individuals.
Kyle officially retired in 2021, with his son, Keeter Brown, taking over his duties as President. Kyle spends a great deal of his time these days helping out the local community, donating his time, tools, and extensive skillset to help others in need.
Keeter Brown - President & Owner
Keeter began work at Discovery Drilling in 2010, after completing a 5 year enlistment in the United States Marine Corps as a Tactical Data Systems Technician. He is also a veteran of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. In 2021, Keeter advanced to the position of Discovery Drilling's President and Owner. While Keeter manages the corporation as a whole, he continues to be heavily involved with every aspect of the business, including operations, logistics, and client and crew support. Keeter is also responsible for much of the modernization of the environment at Discovery Drilling, always seeking out and implementing new technology and equipment to enhance the efficiency and safety of our operations.
DJ Wardwell - General Manager
DJ spent 13 years in the United States Marine Corps as a Tactical Data Systems Technician, serving along side Keeter for several of these years. He is also a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Along with Keeter, he came to Alaska in 2010 and began working at Discovery Drilling shortly thereafter. After learning the ropes as an assistant Driller, DJ began tackling projects as the lead Driller, and began assisting management staff with Operations Management. He has since moved into the role of Discovery's General Manager, and along side Keeter he helps managed every facet of the business. This picture is one of like three times in his entire life he has worn a suit jacket and tie.
Jesse Saunders - Shop Foreman
Jesse joined the Discovery team back in 2013 as a driller's helper, and eventually moved into the position of Driller. When not in the field, Jesse could be found assisting our mechanical staff with rig and fleet maintenance. His hard work ethic, knowledge, and mechanical know-how made Jesse as much of an asset in the field as in the shop environment. In 2021, Jesse was promoted to the position of Discovery Drilling's Shop Foreman. His day-to-day duties are extensive to say the least; he assists Keeter and DJ with operations management and keeping the trains on time, which is a full time job in its own right. He also oversees the management of our equipment fleet, ensuring that we are efficiently fielding our rigs and equipment without overcommitting our resources or fielding equipment in need of maintenance. When time permits, he can still be found applying his mechanical skillset to assist our mechanics with fleet and rig maintenance.
Jennifer Aragon
Office Manager, Bookkeeper
Keeping us all in line since 2014, Jennifer has become an important part of the Discovery Team. Her contagious positive attitude helps keep the stress of the office environment to a minimum, and she does a wonderful job of keeping Keeter's spirits up by pretending his jokes are funny. She manages and records the countless monetary day-to-day transactions, keeping the books in good order. Her duties include, but are certainly not limited to, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, bank reconciliations, keepin' it real, and whatever daily fires need to be put out around the office.
Donny Paik
Lead Mechanic
Since beginning his employment at Discovery in 2010, Donny's talents as a maintenance manager, welder, fabricator, and mechanic have led to his promotion to the role of Lead Mechanic. Donny maintains a strict maintenance schedule on our entire equipment fleet, which is no small endeavor. His tenacity and attention to detail play a key role in ensuring that all the equipment we field, from trucks to drill rigs, are thoroughly maintained and safe to operate. He is responsible for making sure that every piece of equipment which leaves the yard has been thoroughly inspected and is reliable for field work. Considering what our equipment has to endure by servicing the entire state of Alaska, as well as the highly varied fleet of equipment he is responsible for maintaining, Donny's efforts are remarkable.