Creating an Inclusive Workplace: Work-Life Through an Equity Lens & How to Retain BIPOC Faculty and Staff

Derek Smith is the Executive Director of Central Higher Education Recruitment (HERC). Derek takes on this role during a year of increased attention to DEI in the workplace, amidst a background of a worldwide pandemic. Derek’s extensive DEI and HR workforce experience, data management background, and leadership and relationship-building skills will contribute greatly to HERC’s mission, especially as the organization continues to evolve and assert its thought leadership.

“The mission of HERC is strongly aligned with my own ideas about increasing opportunities in the world,” says Derek of HERC’s mission and his role as Executive Director. “We can help leaders in higher education make meaningful improvements to create an equitable and inclusive workplace.”

Prior to joining HERC, Derek was a Senior Consultant on HR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Sawgrass Group, Inc. He worked with management to design and execute data-informed diversity/inclusion programs, policies, and guidelines to attract, retain, and advance a highly skilled and talented diverse workforce. At the University of Pittsburgh, he started as a Senior Compensation Project Consulting Administrator, then became the Assistance Vice Chancellor, overseeing human resources for the full employee lifecycle. He held leadership and management roles at the University of Missouri System, Kansas State University, and the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Derek has a Ph.D. in Workforce Development & Organizational Leadership from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, an M.B.A. in Human Resources from the University of Phoenix, an M.Sc. in Curriculum Instruction from the University of Wisconsin, and a B.A. in History from Hampton University. Derek also has several professional HR certifications, including Leadership Architect and Six Sigma. Derek, as both administrative staff and a doctoral student at UNLV, is the two-time recipient of the UNLV Alliance of Professionals of African Heritage Outstanding Graduate Students Award.

Derek was inspired by his father, one of the pioneers in Milwaukee, WI that worked towards creating equal opportunities for a diverse group of people, with a focus on teens and young adults entering the workforce. Derek lives near Pittsburgh, PA with his wife, twin boys, and labradoodle. He loves QiGong, art, music, and learning about different cultures.