Derek Thomas
President/Owner
Derek’s career has always been one of disciplined hard work and service to others – service to Nation, to City, to Community. Derek is an entrepreneur at heart who successfully navigated a corporate career focused on building the diverse set of skills required to build a business focused on helping others achieve success. Derek’s path to Co-Founder of NHRA was a natural progression.
Upon returning home from Desert Storm, Derek honored a family legacy by joining the Philadelphia Fire Department. During his tenure as a Firefighter at one of the city’s busiest stations, Derek attended Temple University, graduating with a Bachelors in Finance. With an end goal of owning his own business, he began his career on the front lines as a Commercial Underwriter with First Union and MBNA Bank. He leveraged this experience to take on a leadership role at the Philadelphia Gas Works as the Treasury Cash Manager, and assistant to the Treasurer.
Derek’s first entrepreneurial endeavor was founder of a Fund focused on the acquisition of SFR Rentals throughout Philadelphia. Derek retains an ownership position but stepped away from leadership to relocate to GA in 2011, where he opened a State Farm Insurance Agency and quickly grew to one of the top producers in his market. Still focused on the SFR market, he earned a GA Real Estate license and subsequent Broker license. With a desire to focus on delivering superior customer service and strategic advice in the Investment property space, NHRA was launched.