Derek James grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan fishing with his dad, playing sports, and developing a particular love for birds of prey.  Derek Graduated with a biology degree from Grand Valley State University and earned an MS from Penn State in the College of Agricultural Sciences. For the past 22 years, he has worked in secondary and higher education, focused on providing opportunities for those historically excluded, including those who have faced structural barriers and inequitable policies. Derek and his wife Natalie have two sons and he enjoys nerding out on basketball, birding, and coffee.