Derrik currently serves as Executive Director of Race Matters for Juvenile Justice (RMJJ) in Charlotte, NC. As a systems organizer, he provides vision, leadership, and knowledge as he serves a collaborative leadership team of 15 partner organizations and institutions working within the community to reduce disproportionality and disparate outcomes for children and families of color.

In collaboration with the leadership team, he guides the development of the strategic direction for the organization, manages capacity building and sustainability efforts, as well as prioritizes practice change across the organization. Furthermore, Derrik implements the necessary changes within the organizational practices and culture to advance racial equity.

Leading with his authentic voice, Derrik has a passion and genuine interest to share information that fosters relationships and builds healthy teams and organizations. He is a racial equity, diversity and inclusion trainer and consultant.

Derrik obtained a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC. Also, he received a master’s degree in Social Service Administration (MSSA) and a master’s degree in Management of Nonprofit Organization (MNO) from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. He is a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) from National Diversity Council; is certified in Systems Thinking from Cornell University; and is certified in Non-profit Management from Duke University. He has also served as Assistant Professor and Bachelor Social Work, Director of Field Education at Johnson C. Smith University.

Derrik is an appointed member for Chief Justice’s Commission on Fairness and Equity for North Carolina Judicial Branch. He serves as a member of the Racial & Ethnic Disparities (RED) Subcommittee for North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission. Also, Derrik was appointed to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, Community Equity Committee and serves as a co-chair for the Educational Opportunity and High Expectations Subcommittee.