Mr. Derrick A Mills

Derrick was raised in a small town in Alabama, where being a good person, a good student and a hard worker was important to him. He learned that the trust of those around him was something to be earned.

“My mother taught me about trust – to earn the trust of those you work with and those for whom you work. Trust is the basis for all good relationships.”

Along with his mother, the now-deceased U.S. Senator Howell Heflin took Derrick under his wing and imparted an education that will always be with him. Senator Heflin showed Derrick how the law related to everyday life. He gives much credit to his other mentors: his high school football coach, his high school principals, federal Judge U.W. Clemon (for whom he clerked) and others. “President Potts at the University of North Alabama showed me how to tie a tie. That’s pretty important when you stand before a judge,” he chuckles.