Derik grew up in South Point, Ohio, a small river town in the tri-state area on the border of Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio. He graduated from Ohio University (Southern Campus) with honors. After college he began working with The Herald-Dispatch newspaper in Huntington, West Virginia. During his seven years at the newspaper, he served as the District Sales Manager for a large, mainly rural region.
While working at the newspaper, he experienced the loss of his younger brother in 2008 and another brother, an Air Force Veteran, to suicide, in 2019. In 2010 Derik lost his beloved grandfather, a WWII Veteran. Mid-career, Derik determined to pursue his law degree, graduating in 2018 from the University of Kentucky College of Law with an emphasis in property law and estate planning.
Soon after graduating, he began work as a staff attorney at the Fayette County Circuit Court under Hon. Judge Kimberly Bunnell. In 2019, Derik joined Elder Law Guidance. He currently serves as the Secretary of the Elder Law Section of the Kentucky Bar Association. He is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc., and an accredited VA Attorney.
Most importantly, Derik is a dad, caring for his four wonderful children, ranging in ages from 8 to 16. He loves silly movies, going on road trips with his kids, trying new barbecue restaurants, and working on old Honda cars.