Matthew Derr



Matthew Derr (born July 12, 1967) is a higher education and foundation leader. He presently serves as the Executive Director of the Chelsea Green Foundation and as an Editor for Chelsea Green Publishing. For nearly a decade, before being appointed President Emeritus in 2021, he led Sterling College. In December 2010, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education awarded Derr with the organization's Chief Executive Leadership Award and the Great Lakes Colleges Association recognized his efforts on behalf of liberal education with a visiting fellowship.

Professional life
Under Derr's leadership, Sterling, which is among the smallest liberal arts colleges in the United States, experienced a period of rapid growth in student enrollment and philanthropic support, through the largest successful fundraising campaign in institutional history. Sterling expanded its emphasis on global field studies in 2016 with support from the Endeavor Foundation and launched the Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, including, in 2015, a continuing education program named the School of the New American Farmstead.

Personal life
Derr was born in Flint, Michigan and lives in Alpena, Michigan. His grandparents and parents were autoworkers. He attended public schools before earning a Bachelor of Arts in History from Antioch College and Masters of Social Work in Community Organizing and Social Systems from the University of Michigan. He has also studied at the George Heyman Center for Philanthropy at New York University.