Derek Carlson
Realtor
Derek W.
Carlson was born and raised in Missouri, where he graduated from Willow Springs
High School as the only child of a retired 1st grade teacher and elementary
principal. Growing up, his family had two farms: one in Willow Springs with
registered Black Angus cattle and another on a 200-year-old family-owned farm
in Elk Creek, MO/Texas County with primarily registered Charolaise cattle.
Although the farm is still owned, there are no longer any cattle. Derek has
always been passionate about sports, though now he mainly enjoys golf and
billiards. An avid outdoorsman, he resides on Bryant Creek in Ozark County,
engaging in activities such as floating, fishing, fly fishing, tying flies,
camping, and hunting morel mushrooms. He occasionally hunts but not as
frequently as he would like.
Derek
pursued higher education at both Missouri State University/SMSU and the
University of Central Missouri/CMSU, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in
Communications with an emphasis in Marketing. He is a proud alumnus of the
national fraternal organization of Delta Chi. With over 25 years in the food
and beverage industry, Derek has held every position within the field and even
owned his own bar and grill. For the past 20 years, he has focused on the sales
side, working for various full-line distributors, including as a business
development manager for a Fortune 500 company and the largest full-line
distributor in North America. Derek's love for cooking and diverse culinary
experiences is evident.
His travels
have taken him to Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, Europe (Italy and Nice/South of
France), as well as numerous large U.S. cities and states. After spending 17
years in Springfield, he moved back "home." Derek is a proud father
of two boys: one attending college at Missouri S&T, and the other a summa
cum laude graduate of Truman State University who now teaches high school
mathematics with focus on physics and calculus. An active member of the West
Plains Elk's Lodge #2418, Derek also shares his life with a special rescue pit
bull terrier named "Whiskey," who has been with him for almost nine
years and enjoys accompanying him to show and list properties.
With three
years of experience in real estate, Derek may not consider himself an expert,
but he is known for his exceptional client care, making new friends and not
only meeting customers expectations, but also exceeding them as well! He is
licensed in both Missouri and Arkansas.
