Since 2025, Derrick has served as a Deputy Director in Prince George’s County Department of Environment managing the Animal Services Division, Climate and Energy Division and County Council Legislative Affairs Office. Derrick ensures animal safety by managing zoonotic disease control and promoting responsible pet ownership. His work in Animal Services strives to mitigate the impact of stray populations on local communities through positive interactions and adoption, prioritizing humane education and community outreach. Derrick fosters a culture of stewardship that serves as the baseline for broader engagement and management across animal services.
Derrick’s work overseeing the Climate and Energy Division serves as the department’s strategic engine for long-term sustainability, focused on the climate impact strategies. The Climate and Energy Division’s mission is two-fold: to reduce the jurisdiction’s carbon footprint and increase climate resilience. This division oversees the transition to renewable energy sources, promotes energy efficiency in the built environment, and develops adaptation strategies for extreme weather events through climate resilience hubs. Derrick planned the Inaugural Braveboy Climate Action Summit in 2025, an annual summit aimed at ensuring that the region remains habitable and economically viable in a changing global climate.
Derrick’s work managing legislative affairs is the vital link between technical expertise and public policy. This office monitors local, state, and federal legislation, advocating for policies that align with the department’s goals to improve program and project implementation, protecting the environment. This work includes preparing testimony, drafting bill language, and building relationships with lawmakers. Legislative Affairs ensures that the department’s program managers, engineers, and researchers have the policy and program tools necessary to execute the mission of the Department of Environment.
In 2023, Derrick was appointed by Secretary Dr. Sanjay Rai as Executive Director for External Relations for the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). He served as the primary point of contact for the Maryland General Assembly, monitoring legislation and policy changes and analyzing the potential impact on higher education in Maryland. He also coordinated the Maryland Higher Education Government Relations Segments’ legislative briefings, including the University System of Maryland (USM), Maryland Independent Colleges and Universities Association (MICUA), and Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC). He prepared testimony, policy briefs, and other materials to represent MHEC’s position on legislative matters and to advocate for MHEC’s budget priorities and legislative agenda.
Derrick built and maintained relationships with key legislators and their staff, developing and executing strategies to build and maintain relationships with colleges and universities (public and private), liaising with other state agencies, non-profit organizations, and business leaders on issues related to higher education. Derrick represented MHEC at the Outdoor Learning Partnership, which is a public/private stakeholder group established to help youth grow as environmental stewards who access, conserve, and restore our natural resources to ensure a climate-ready Maryland.
Derrick oversaw MHEC’s communications strategy, including media relations, public information, and online presence, developing and disseminating press releases, op-eds, reports, and other public-facing materials, responding to media inquiries, and serving as an agency spokesperson when appropriate. Derrick worked collaboratively with other MHEC departments to ensure alignment of external relations efforts with agency-wide goals, managing the budget allocated to the Department of External Relations strategic initiatives, preparing reports and presentations for the Secretary and the Commission. Derrick undertook special projects assigned by the Secretary, secured a FAFSA Financial Aid Grant award for $500,000 in June 2024, planned the Inaugural Higher Education Summit in October 2024, and helped coordinate the Inaugural Maryland AI Summit in March 2025.
Derrick was the Special Assistant for Government Relations, Office of the President, Bowie State University. He directed government relations initiatives for the University on behalf of the President. He managed University strategic partnerships with Cabinet Members and College Deans, serving as the legislative liaison for the University on federal, state, and local issues. Derrick created and executed advocacy plans for University priorities and strategically engaged elected officials in the Maryland General Assembly and the Governor’s Office. He drafted legislation, testimony, and presentations on the University’s priority issues and programs.
He sat on the University System of Maryland (USM) State Relations Council, while monitoring the Maryland General Assembly’s operating and capital budget process for Bowie State University. He led Bowie State’s, Maryland, and federal appropriation and grant requests in coordination with the University Office of Sponsored Research and Programs, working collaboratively with community partners and other nonprofit higher education stakeholders. Derrick organized and executed priorities in Annapolis and Washington, DC, as a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) coalition member with Maryland’s HBCUs, the United Negro College Fund, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. He administered Bowie State University federal priorities in tandem with the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and implemented the University’s Congressional legislative goals with the Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus.
In 2011, Derrick was appointed as the Public Affairs Liaison in the Office of Prince George’s County Council Member Obie Patterson. He coordinated press information, wrote official statements, and planned public events. Derrick also briefed Council Member Patterson on community issues and government operational procedures. Additionally, he drafted correspondence to answer requests from individuals, civic organizations, and businesses. Since 2004, Derrick has worked in Prince George’s County government. Before joining the Office of Council Member Patterson, he served in the Office of the County Executive. Derrick was promoted from Special Assistant to Deputy Chief of Staff and finally served as the Chief of Staff. He oversaw countywide projects with agencies and departments. Derrick managed appointments to boards and commissions, issued proclamations and letters of support, directed community nonprofit grant requests, and managed federal, state, and county council legislative priorities. His work also included external relations with local governments, community groups, and businesses.
Derrick was a Staff Associate at the United States Conference of Mayors for six years in the Environmental Programs Division. His responsibilities included tracking city, state, and federal programs and policies for the Brownfields Redevelopment Program. Brownfields are real estate properties whose reuse or redevelopment may be hampered by environmental contamination. Derrick managed the annual survey entitled “Recycling America’s Land: A National Report on Brownfield Redevelopment”, which was funded by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, he worked with the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation to address sustainable development in American cities.
Furthermore, Derrick worked as the staff contact for the Municipal Waste Management Association’s Operations Committee, an organization of city solid waste and public works directors and environmental commissioners. He began working at the Conference as a Program Assistant on the Buy Recycled Training Initiative, Recycling at Work and Urban Water Council. All of these initiatives had the broad goal of enhancing the urban environment and city livability.
Derrick is a Suitland High School graduate and was involved in the Rites of Passage, Black Pursuits, Environmental Club and other activities. In 1998, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science and minored in Botany from North Carolina State University. In 2003, he obtained his Master of Arts degree in International Environmental Policy, focusing on Environment and Development at American University. His research treatise was entitled “A Comparative Analysis of Cuba’s Tourism: Past and Future Implications for Sustainable Development”.
Derrick resides in Glenn Dale with his four children, Julia, Marshall, Henry, and Claira. His wife, Okeysha, passed away in March 2025 after a valiant battle with breast cancer. They were happily married for over twenty-three years.