Derrick joined the Staff of InterFaith Works’ Community Wide Dialogue to End Racism Program (CWD) in 2008 to continue his service to the Syracuse Community. He came to IFW from the Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility also known as Southwest Community Center, where he was the Coordinator of the Male Responsibility Program for three years – empowering youth, facilitating and presenting on making healthy decisions, and providing direct services in two local clinics .

 After serving as the Associate Director of CWD for over a year he was promoted to Director in January of 2010, “The irony is my first official day as the Director was on the same day that we choose to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday.”

 With a unique passion for social justice and equity Derrick plans to continue the great work done by his predecessor Beth Broadway. His vision is to engage more adults in dialogue circles, help build relationships with refugees and American born people, address the achievement gap, and to partner with other organizations to raise the consciousness of structural and institutional racism and its effects.