William R. “Rick” Derrer oversees projects for the company in his capacity as Chief Operating Officer
Derrer has more than 40 years of experience in the construction industry. James A. Cummings, Inc. was started in 1981 as a three-person operation and grew into a multi-million-dollar business before the company was sold in 2003 to Perini Corp. He continued as President and CEO until his retirement in October 2015.
Derrer is a member of the Broward Workshop, Chairman of the CSBE Advisory Board in Miami-Dade County, past Chairman and current member of the Board of Rules and Appeals for Miami–Dade County. Derrer serves on the board of the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade. He advocates for enhanced parks that improve people’s quality of life and for increased walkability and connectivity in communities. He is a past President of the Construction Association of South Florida and a past member of the Advisory Council Executive Committee of University of Florida’s M. E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management.
Derrer co-founded James A. Cummings Inc. and was responsible for operations and supervision of billions of dollars of construction of commercial, government, institutional and education buildings. A highly respected builder and manager, he was inducted into the Construction Hall of Fame at the University of Florida’s M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management in 2007. Derrer graduated with honors from the Building Construction Program.