Woody Derricks

Partnership Wealth Management

Woody Derricks, president of Partnership Wealth Management, has built his career on a broad perspective on wealth management. Since starting as a financial adviser in 1998, he has seen some of the best and worst markets in history, an experience that allows him to approach clients with an understanding of how the markets fit into their broader financial picture.

For Derricks, the work is as much emotional as it is financial. The market’s ups and downs aren’t simply about dollars and cents; clients’ emotions ride the same waves as the markets, and retirement and sudden life changes can bring their own stresses. As a result, a large part of his role involves serving as a financial therapist, helping clients navigate the emotional swings associated with money. His perspective has been further broadened by years spent as an adviser, mentor and manager. A specialist in LGBTQ+ financial planning, he is a certified financial planner professional and holds the accredited domestic partnership advisor, along with a certificate in the mastery of philanthropic solutions in financial planning from the Financial Planning Association and the American Heart Association.

Derricks has been writing articles for several regional newspapers since 2001 and has spoken on LGBTQ+ financial issues at the American Psychological Association’s national conference. He has served on panels for the University of Maryland and the Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and has conducted financial planning workshops at AT&T, Booz Allen Hamilton, Fannie Mae, IBM, Lockheed Martin and Verizon, as well as federal agencies and advocacy groups.

In 2006, he and his wife founded Paws for a Cause to help support local animal groups, and he has served on the boards of FreeState Justice, Equality Maryland and the Canton Dog Park.

His work has earned recognition including Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Finalist honors from InvestmentNews in 2019 and 2022, Leaders in Diversity honoree from the Baltimore Business Journal in 2019, Eco CEO honoree from SmartCEO in 2010 and Green Entrepreneur of the Year, Second Place, from the Baltimore Business Journal that same year. His firm was also the first business to join Maryland’s Green Registry. Derricks draws inspiration from the people around him, including his wife, Heidi and his daughter, Elise.

This is an honoree profile from The Daily Record’s Managing Partners awards. Information for this profile was sourced from the honoree’s application for the award. The honoree profiles were written using an artificial intelligence program and supported by honoree nominations, applications and letters of recommendation. Each profile was reviewed, fact-checked and edited for accuracy by The Daily Record’s editorial staff.