2025 Julian Davidson Award Honors Torch Technologies Founders
- David Wood
- Aug 6
- 5 min read
NDIA President Delivers Blistering Keynote on China's Rise, Industrial Fragility, and the Urgency of Innovation in the 'Great Power Competition'
(Huntsville, Alabama)– On the second night of the 2025 Space and Missile Defense Symposium, the Von Braun Center’s South Hall played host to more than just a ceremonial dinner—it became the stage for a poignant reflection on legacy, leadership, and the future of American defense.
The evening began with the presentation of the 12th Annual Dr. Julian Davidson Leadership in Missile Defense and Space Technology Award, a distinction named for Davidson’s founder and patriarch, Dr. Julian Davidson, whose vision and technical contributions helped shape Huntsville into the defense innovation hub it is today.
This year’s recipients, Don Holder and Bill Roark, co-founders of Torch Technologies, were recognized not just for their long-standing impact on the missile defense enterprise, but for building a company rooted in purpose, integrity, and service to the warfighter.
Davidson President and CEO Dale Moore opened the ceremony with remarks that grounded the award in its original intent:
"We can’t predict the future. Dr. Julian Davidson understood that better than most. When he and his wife, Dr. Dorothy Davidson founded our company nearly 30 years ago, they weren’t building a company to solve a specific, predictable problem. They were building a company to solve whatever problem came next. Back in 1996, terms like algorithmic warfare, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing were not exactly common in the national defense vernacular. But the entrepreneurial spirit Julian instilled—the relentless pursuit of innovation, the belief that adaptation is the key to readiness—that’s what has endured."
"I often wonder what Julian would say if he could see Davidson today. Maybe he’d say something like: ‘…you kept going.’ He’d see that spirit alive not only in our technology but in the people across this community who keep pushing boundaries. That’s why we present this award—not to recognize longevity or titles, but to honor those who embody that same drive to build, to lead, and to shape the future of our national defense."
Moore described the award as more than a ceremonial gesture—it’s a tribute to enduring values. “We present this award to those who build with purpose, lead with character, and embody the kind of forward-looking leadership Julian championed throughout his life.”
Honoring Two Builders of Industry and Community
Both Don Holder and Bill Roark have spent decades shaping not just systems and programs, but people and culture. Their joint legacy includes standing up one of the most respected 100% employee-owned companies in the defense industry, Torch Technologies, recognized for its technical excellence and community commitment.
In accepting the award, Don Holder shared humble but heartfelt reflections:
“I'd like to thank the committee for this great honor. Being associated with Dr. Davidson is a true honor for me. He was a leader. He did a lot for this country's defense. He also did a lot for this city. His example is one that we all admire and respect. Thank you very much, and God bless America.”
Bill Roark, who knew Dr. Davidson personally, added a layer of deep personal significance:
“A special thanks to Davidson Technologies for sponsoring this event. Like Don said, receiving the Julian Davidson Award is especially meaningful for me.I had the privilege of knowing Julian as a friend. Not only was he a remarkable leader and a man of integrity, vision, and quiet strength—he truly set the standard for purposeful leadership.There’s no doubt about it, he was very helpful to us in the early stages of Torch. Being honored in his name is both humbling and deeply personal.This award reflects the impact of mentors like Julian—and Roy Nichols, the first recipient of this award, who was also close to Don and me—as well as the many colleagues we've walked alongside throughout this journey. I'm profoundly grateful for their influence and the opportunity to carry forward the values that Julian so clearly embodied.”
From Legacy to Strategy: David Norquist Delivers a Wake-Up Call
While the Davidson Award ceremony opened the evening with celebration, the keynote address that followed brought the room to full attention. David Norquist, President and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) and former Deputy Secretary of Defense, delivered a no-notes keynote that was nothing short of riveting.
“This is not like other times,” Norquist began. “We are not well positioned to respond to China's rise and a new era in great power competition.”
Drawing on decades of experience, including roles at the Pentagon and on defense appropriations staff, Norquist warned the audience of senior military leaders, government officials, and defense industry executives that the strategic landscape has shifted dramatically; and so must our posture.
On the China Threat
“The Soviet Union at its peak was 15% of the world’s GDP—and declining. China is now at 20%, and climbing. We’re not going to deter China by being better central planners, or better communists, than they are. That’s not our advantage.”
Norquist underscored that China is outpacing the U.S. in steel production, naval shipbuilding, and long-range missile deployment—not because of superior ideology, but because they are building with purpose, speed, and scale.
“This is a race where we may be ahead, but the person behind us is closing the gap much faster.”
On Industrial Base Fragility
Norquist offered an especially candid assessment of the state of the U.S. defense industrial base, which he described as having atrophied since the Cold War.
“In 1985, we had 3 million workers in the defense industrial base. Today, we have 1.1 million.In the past 10 years, we’ve lost 40% of our small businesses. The base isn’t just stagnant—it’s shrinking.”
He argued that audit-driven disincentives and rigid budget cycles—especially the damaging effects of continuing resolutions—have eroded surge capacity and slowed modernization.
“We need to build a resilient defense industrial base that can respond to the pressing demands of great power competition.But right now, when we should be stepping on the gas—we’ve still got one foot on the brake.”
On American Advantages
Despite his sobering warnings, Norquist pointed to three enduring U.S. advantages China can never replicate:
• Decentralized, empowered leadership
• Strong allies and global partnerships
• An innovative industrial base
“They’ll never have a Sergeant Major. Or an empowered platoon leader who moves without waiting for top-down instruction. That’s our advantage.”
He emphasized that winning the next conflict will come not from marginal improvements or compliance, but from innovation and speed.
“We don’t win by out-planning the enemy. We win by out-thinking them. We win by building faster, iterating quicker, and empowering people to act.”
A Message to the Room: You’re the Point of the Spear
Norquist closed with a direct appeal to the crowd:
“Virtually every organization that’s critical to building the future missile defense architecture was represented in that room—and so was nearly every company that will help make it real. That makes events like this not routine but essential. This is where industry and government connect. This is where innovation begins.”
The 2025 Julian Davidson Award Dinner served not only as a celebration of legacy, but a clear-eyed call to action. As Davidson continues to honor its namesake through innovation and mission focus, and as leaders like Norquist push for urgency and reform, the challenge is unmistakable: adapt faster, build smarter, and remain relentless in the pursuit of advantage.
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