Derrick Lea

W. Derrick Lea serves as the Director of North American Division Adventist Community Services. His responsibilities focus on the Disaster Response, Emotional & Spiritual Care, and Young Adults Emergency Services Corps Ministries. He retired as Deputy Chief over operations after 20.5 years of service for the Prince George’s Country Fire/ EMS Department in 2011. Using the background developed in Public Safety, he began consulting and creating Development Plans for organizations. This led to the largest Muslim organization in the United States, Islamic Relief USA asking him to lead their effort in forming a Disaster Response Team. After 3 years of successful work assisting those experiencing crisis, the organization asked that he lead all of their US Programs, which included Community Engagement, Grants, and Disaster Relief work.

Additional service activities include serving on the Emotional/Spiritual care Committee for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), working as a board member of the Community Blessings Center in Danville, VA along with working as past chair of the Maryland Emotional Spiritual care Committee. Derrick also holds certifications as an EMT B, Hazmat II and Executive Level credentials for County Government. Derrick has been married for 20 plus years, has two adult children, and his favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 3:6, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.