Derek Brainard Mba, Afc®, Crpc®

Derek Brainard has a range of work experience in the financial and education sectors. Derek started their career in the US Navy as a Petty Officer 2nd Class from July 2007 to December 2013. Derek then worked as a Financial Advisor at Edward Jones from January 2014 to January 2016. Derek then transitioned to Syracuse University, where they served as the Financial Literacy Coordinator from January 2016 to February 2018. Derek also took on the role of Adjunct Faculty Instructor at Syracuse University - University College from February 2018 onwards, teaching a course on personal financial management. Since February 2018, Derek has been with AccessLex Institute, starting as the Regional Manager - Mid-Atlantic and currently serving as the Director of Financial Education.

Derek Brainard holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Syracuse University - Martin J. Whitman School of Management, which they completed between 2017 and 2019. Derek'sfield of study for their MBA was Business Administration and Management, General. Prior to that, Derek obtained a Master Certificate in Applied Project Management from Villanova University from 2015 to 2016.

In terms of undergraduate education, Derek obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Thomas Edison State University, which they completed between 2009 and 2011. However, the field of study for their B.A. is not specified. Before pursuing their B.A., Derek attended Onondaga Community College from 2005 to 2007, where they obtained an Associate of Applied Science degree in Music.

Derek also holds several additional certifications. In 2019, they obtained the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ or CRPC® Professional Designation from the College for Financial Planning. Derek acquired the Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) certification from AFCPE® (Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education®) in 2018. Furthermore, in 2017, Derek obtained the Microsoft Excel Specialist certification from Microsoft Office Training.