Since graduating from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 1999, Derek has worked in television, video, and live event production. He began his career as the lighting director at the Alabama Theatre in North Myrtle Beach, SC, where he designed and operated lighting for legendary country acts including Alabama, George Jones, and Loretta Lynn among others. Soon after, he went out to sea as a Lighting and Sound Technician for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines where he visited 22 ports in ten countries in six months. Following his time at sea, Derek entered the world of television and film production. He acted as First Assistant Director on three feature films including The Foot Fist Way which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. Over the next 11 years, he acted as producer and production manager on over 20 broadcast television shows including Discovery’s Alaska: The Last Frontier, HGTV’s Kitchen Cousins, and truTV’s Barmageddon. Most recently, Derek worked as a live event lighting technician for dozens of NASCAR pre-race ceremonies, corporate events, and concerts, working with acts such as Dierks Bentley, Diplo, and Darius Rucker to name a few. Derek loves to travel with his wife and he recently visited his 50th state.
