PORT ST. LUCIE PEOPLE
DEREK MCSWEEN
In keeping with the view that helping others starts at home, McSween treats
his mother, Verna, to “the works” at a local salon.
FORT
FORT
nies. Instead, 33 percent was awarded.
“Small companies had great tradesmen, but didn’t know
how to run businesses,” he says. In response to this need, he
started DCM, a training company. For his efforts in improving
diversity within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ building
program, the Charlotte Business Journal named him one of 10
area diversity catalysts in 2004.
That job led to an incredible opportunity — overseeing the
demobilization of a U.S. military base in Kabul, Afghanistan.
At first, he was terrified. “My main concern was, am I safe?”
McSween says. After several months, he was able to communicate
his concern to the Afghan workers. “They told me I
was as safe as they were … which meant, not entirely.”
During the two years of the project, McSween’s bridgebuilding
skills were invaluable. As he visited Kabul homes,
“the walls came down,” he says. “We discussed religion and
everything else, our similarities, our differences. They’d only
seen American black men in the military, and I didn’t fit their
stereotypes of civilians: gangsters, rappers, basketball players.
‘You’re nothing like we thought,’ they said. And I admitted
my own stereotypes. I’d thought they were all terrorists.”
As he got to know the men, he recognized an opportunity
for mentoring. “They were smart, but they didn’t know how
to function in a business meeting,” he says. “I’d started a
Toastmasters club back in Charlotte; now I used public speaking
from a business etiquette standpoint.” He watched the
men’s confidence soar.
McSween’s schedule put him in Afghanistan for three
weeks at a stretch, punctuated by a few days in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates — a 1,000 miles away in distance and
DEREK CARL McSWEEN
Age: 58
Lives in: Port St. Lucie
Occupation: Program manager,
speaker, trainer, Parabel Inc.
construction manager
Family: A 93-year-old mother
Education: The Choate School;
University of Rochester
Hobby: Public speaking
Who inspires me: “Barack Obama, for his perseverance and
for overcoming obstacles.”
Something most people don’t know about me: “For four
years, I was a morning radio show host for a jazz program.”
a world away in terms of living conditions. “With all the
skyscrapers and limos, I knew the sheiks hadn’t done the
work,” he says. “I asked around and found laborers from the
Far East and Russia living in very poor conditions. A real dichotomy
exists there: the rich and famous and the folks living
10 to a room.”
It was McSween’s privilege to rub shoulders with both
groups. Earning a handsome wage, experiencing none of the
racism he sometimes witnessed in the U.S., building important
bridges … life was good.
However, during a 30-day leave for rest and recreation, life
took a dramatic turn. While visiting his brother and mother
in Port St. Lucie, his dog died. Two weeks later, his brother
died. His mother was 91 at the time; if McSween returned to
Dubai, she’d be alone.
“I’d been living in a war zone,” he says, “(with) the constant
threat of suicide bombs, gunshots, beggars and the warwounded
everywhere. I was worn down. Usually, I could
count on my R&Rs to de-stress, but this time, the stress never
ended, has never ended. Everything happened at once.”
McSween became his mother’s caregiver, working at Home
Depot until recently, when he took a job with Parabel Inc.
to build prototype hydroponic farms locally. He’ll also be
involved in teaching other countries how to do the same.
It has been public speaking, however, that has best served
him as a decompression tool. He joined Port St. Lucie Toastmasters,
which meets weekly at Keiser University. When a
fellow Toastmaster encouraged him to videotape his speeches,
Dialogues with Derek was born. McSween tackles current
events, race relations, divisiveness and other matters close
to his heart on his Dialogues Facebook page and through his
videos. He also welcomes personal speaking engagements to
any and all groups.
“Not every bridge should be built,” McSween says. “You
want to make sure there’s not a cliff waiting for you on the
other side. But I believe that 99 percent of our problems stem
from ineffective communication.”
Encouraging and facilitating dialogue between people
of different religions, races, even age groups, McSween
sees himself as an adventurous teacher. With no children of
his own, his desire is to give what he has and what he has
learned to his community. To the world. E
Port St. Lucie Magazine 59
PIERCE
PIERCE