Derek Coy
Derek Coy currently serves as the Veterans’ Health Officer at the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) where he focuses on expanding veterans’ access to community-based services and leveraging external funding to increase resources available to returning veterans in New York State. For more than a decade, he has served as a thought leader, convener, and advocate to improve the health of returning veterans and their families.
Prior to joining NYSHealth, Mr. Coy was a nonprofit consultant, where he used his experience in advocacy and the nonprofit sector to help clients diversify their fundraising efforts, modernize internal structures to adapt to changing environments, and reinforce their brands through targeted messaging and social media. Previously, Mr. Coy served in a variety of different roles at leading nonprofits, such as The Doe Fund, American Civil Liberties Union, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
Mr. Coy has considerable experience working in the veteran space and has used his passion and understanding of the community to advocate for changes in our nation’s capital. He has appeared in numerous television, print, and radio outlets, including CNN, NBC, ABC, and SiriusXM Radio. He is a regular contributor to Task & Purpose, and has had pieces shared by the Obama White House.
Mr. Coy received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Houston Clear Lake, and his Master of Middle Eastern History degree from the City College of New York, where he focused on 20th century Iran. He is also a former Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and served a yearlong deployment to Iraq’s Anbar Province in 2005, as well as another aboard the USS Essex in 2007. He currently resides in the Bronx.
