Derek Avery began his law enforcement career in 2001 as a dispatcher with the Magnolia Police Department. After graduating from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in 2005, he served three years in the department’s patrol division before returning to SAU to join the University Police Department in 2008.

Over the course of his career, Assistant Chief Avery has held a variety of roles, including patrolman, corporal, investigator, and sergeant. He currently serves as Assistant Chief of Police, where he oversees both the patrol and investigative divisions.

A lifelong resident of Magnolia, Avery holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Public Administration, both from SAU. He has accumulated more than 1,600 hours of law enforcement training and is a certified professional law enforcement instructor as well as a firearms instructor. He is passionate about professional development, with a particular focus on supervision and leadership. He is a graduate of Session LX of the Criminal Justice Institute’s School of Law Enforcement Supervision. In 2022, he was awarded the Trilogy Award from the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Association in recognition of completing its Supervisory, Command, and Executive Leadership Institutes.

In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities and is an avid hunter and guitarist.