Derek Duba (He/Him)

Derek is the Arizona Lead Organizer for Common Defense. Derek served eight years on active duty in the U.S. Army (2010-2018) as a military linguist (German/Arabic) and Signals Intelligence Collector until suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while conducting training operations overseas. Upon reentry to civilian life, Derek dove into a public service career that has included social science research for New York University Abu Dhabi and the Technical University of Munich, policy research for the Arizona State Senate Appropriations Committee, and a broad portfolio of policy advice, intergovernmental relations, communications, and casework for former U.S. Representative Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01). Derek is passionate about protecting public lands and democracy and communicating our common interest in building a just, equitable society for all.As a beneficiary of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Derek earned a Associate of Arts in Arabic from the Defense Language Institute (2014) and both a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (2020) and Master of Legal Studies (2022) from Arizona State University. Derek lives in Phoenix, AZ, and loves to make music, enjoy nature, travel, and find new friends wherever he goes.