Westminster Blue Jays: The Official Site of Westminster College Athletics

Derek arrived at Westminster on May 31, 2023 from Iowa Wesleyan University after a successful tenure of 11 years, where he advanced in 2020 from Director of Athletics to a Cabinet-level position as Vice President for Advancement and Athletics. His promotion followed phenomenal success in fundraising, marketing, alumni relations, community relations, recruitment, retention, and operations, despite the challenging factors impacting higher education. In his most recent capacity at Iowa Wesleyan, he led the advancement team to enhance communication with alumni and key stakeholders, quickly increasing annual giving overall from 2020 to the present. In fact, from fiscal year 2020 to 2022, Derek increased fundraising by an astounding 167%. He also led the advancement team to a record performance of $3.7 million raised during fiscal year 2022. These are just a few highlights from Derek’s successful career at Iowa Wesleyan, where from 2012 to 2017, he also served as Assistant Athletic Director, NCAA Compliance Officer, Head Baseball Coach, and Assistant Baseball Coach. We are excited to see his trajectory continue at Westminster College!

Derek was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, but grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 2011, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from Iowa Wesleyan, where he played collegiate baseball. In 2014, he earned a master’s degree in Coaching and Administration from the University of Concordia-Irvine. Derek received both the Carol Nemitz Staff Member of the Year award and the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Service Award in 2019. Derek and his wife, Anna, are the parents of two sons: Mason (6) and Gavin (2).