Hello, I’m

Derek Leeds

Web Project Manager · Team Lead · Builder of useful systems

Web project manager and team lead with more than 20 years of experience leading people, improving operations, and delivering complex work. At Go Local Interactive, I lead support developers, oversee retainer and WordPress delivery, and build processes that make work easier to plan and execute. My military leadership includes command of a 235-person organization, with responsibility for team development, risk management, readiness, and continuous improvement.

Based in Overland Park, Kansascontact@derekleeds.com
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Derek Leeds

Civilian career

Work experience

Project, product, operations, and digital leadership across organizations and industries.

2024 - Present

Web Project Manager, Team Lead

Go Local Interactive

  • Own retainer operations, support triage, and WordPress delivery. All builds in scope over the past year launched, including multiple large custom builds.
  • Lead two support developers, coaching communication, technical depth, and ownership. One direct report expanded from front-end support into API work.
  • Design, test, and document repeatable delivery processes in Confluence, then hand off ownership once the process is stable. Transitioned retainer scoping and scrum facilitation without disrupting delivery.
  • Coordinate work across Strategy, SaaS, Web Build, and support teams, tracking dependencies, routing issues, and escalating blockers before they stall delivery.
  • Diagnosed and redesigned the agency's two-floor office network, replacing daisy-chained multi-vendor switches with a two-tier UniFi architecture serving 9 APs, about 120 users, and about 200 devices. Secured $3,312 in approved capital, presented phased implementation options, and led the cross-team weekend cutover; connectivity complaints fell from several per week to under one per month.
  • Trained non-developer teams on Web Builder configuration during a platform migration, helping close gaps among strategy, implementation, and QA.
2013 - Present (concurrent)

Web Developer

Leeds Web Services

  • Translate client goals into websites and digital solutions for three recurring clients across eight sites.
  • Apply and validate search engine optimization practices across a portfolio averaging 30,000 monthly visitors.
2018 - 2023

Operations Manager

Thrutchley, Inc.

  • Managed monthly financials, prepared semi-monthly payroll, and supported sales systems.
  • Developed client-facing and internal websites, implemented systems, and automated processes to support growing business operations.
  • Prepared forecasts and budgets for monthly and annual reporting.
  • Worked across operations, finance, marketing, and customer service, gaining a broad understanding of business operations.
2014 - 2017

Product Manager

EiKO Global, LLC

  • Conducted product life-cycle management for a portfolio of over 300 automotive lighting products.
  • Introduced 30 new LED lighting products to the B2B and B2C automotive marketplace.
  • Analyzed marketplace and competitive position and pricing, contributing to lower warehousing requirements and a more focused and competitive product offering.
2012 - 2014

Marketing Coordinator

EiKO Global, LLC

  • Documented and refined departmental processes to ensure quality control and efficiency.
  • Coordinated marketing efforts across direct mail, web, video, and print media.
  • Built and deployed marketing websites using multiple content management systems.
2011 - 2012

Project Manager

Drive Digital Media

  • Managed eight corporate websites through third-party content management systems.
  • Supported executive and sales staff with regular and periodic reporting and analytics.
  • Executed project management and product development from conception through implementation.

Capabilities

Skills & tools

A practical mix of delivery leadership, web operations, infrastructure, and automation.

Delivery & Process

  • Agile / Scrum
  • Sprint planning & scoping
  • Retainer and support queue management
  • Phase-gate delivery
  • Resource allocation
  • Capacity planning
  • Stakeholder alignment
  • Process documentation

Project & Knowledge Tools

  • ClickUp
  • Confluence
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace

Infrastructure & Networking

  • UniFi (routing, VLAN segmentation, RSTP, PoE)
  • Network topology design
  • Docker
  • Kubernetes
  • Proxmox
  • TrueNAS
  • Unraid
  • Talos
  • Ubuntu Server

Web & Content Platforms

  • WordPress
  • MainWP
  • Astro
  • Ghost
  • Cloudflare Pages
  • Git
  • Bitbucket
  • GitHub
  • Forgejo

Automation & AI

  • GitOps (declarative infrastructure)
  • ArgoCD
  • Komodo
  • Renovate
  • CI/CD pipelines
  • AI agent workflows
  • MCP tooling
  • Python (foundational)

Learning

Education

Expected June 2028U.S. Army War College seal

Master of Strategic Studies

U.S. Army War College Distance Education Program

Currently in the Master of Strategic Studies program, expected June 2028.

Service

Military experience

Progressive leadership and operational assignments in the Kansas Army National Guard and U.S. Army Central Command.

Dec 2003 - Present

Career overview

Kansas Army National Guard

  • Progressed from frontline team leadership to executive responsibility for a 235-person organization over more than two decades. Built experience in emergency response, workforce training, operational planning, process improvement, and coordination with domestic and international partners.
  • Led small teams, multi-team operations, and cross-functional planning groups. Early roles called for hands-on supervision and clear assignments. Later roles required setting priorities, defining results, and giving managers and team leaders the authority to determine how the work would be completed.
  • Created a workplace where people were expected and supported to grow. Mentored supervisors, managers, and emerging leaders; designed and led leadership development sessions; and used training and performance feedback to prepare people for greater responsibility.
Jun 2024 - Jun 2026

Battalion Commander

Kansas Army National Guard

Lieutenant Colonel rank insignia
  • Executive leader of a 235-person organization, consisting of a headquarters staff and 3 subordinate units capable of world-wide deployment.
  • Provide overall leadership, strategy, guidance, and direction of the organization.
  • Oversee an executive staff and senior leaders to execute assigned missions, develop rigorous training objectives to prepare the unit for deployment to combat operations.
2022 - 2024

Brigade Executive Officer

Brigade Operations Officer

Kansas Army National Guard

Lieutenant Colonel rank insignia
  • Synchronized planning, current operations, and logistics across the staff, keeping leaders informed and planning timelines on track.
  • Improved staff processes and products under short timelines and developed an annual training plan for a diverse brigade.
  • Mentored leaders across the organization while preparing the brigade for federal recognition and its next training cycle.
2021

Military Exercise Planner and Training Lead

U.S. Army Central Command · Task Force Redleg

Major rank insignia
  • Led a cross-functional team of managers to improve operational efficiency and streamline processes.
  • Planned and guided cooperative training exercises with the U.S. military and Jordanian Armed Forces from concept through execution.
  • Directed translation and communication support for coordination with international partners.
  • Managed a portfolio of six training initiatives across three countries with three direct reports.
2018 - 2020

Battalion Operations Officer

Kansas Army National Guard

Major rank insignia
  • Directed training, operational planning, and force development while coordinating staff work across functional teams.
  • Published plans and operating procedures that supported annual training and improved situational awareness across subordinate units and state leadership.
  • Served as liaison to the Kansas Joint Operations Center during the state's COVID-19 response, helping leaders coordinate across organizations.
2017 - 2018

Division Training Officer

U.S. Army Central Command · Task Force Spartan

Major rank insignia
  • Took over the division training role three months into the Task Force Spartan deployment and improved readiness management and tracking across five subordinate brigades.
  • Developed systems to track training, sustainment, and personnel readiness, giving division leaders a broader view of organizational preparedness.
  • Published comprehensive training guidance and advised subordinate commands, contributing to increased readiness in a deployed environment.
2016 - 2017

Division Fire Support Officer (coordinated artillery support across units)

Kansas Army National Guard

Captain rank insignia
2013 - 2016

Brigade Assistant Operations Officer

Battalion Assistant Operations Officer

Battalion Logistics Officer

Kansas Army National Guard

Captain rank insignia
2011 - 2013

Battery Commander (leader of a 75-person artillery unit)

Kansas Army National Guard · B Battery, 2-130th Field Artillery

Captain rank insignia
  • Led a 75-person artillery unit through its transition between MLRS and HIMARS rocket systems while managing training, safety, readiness, and equipment valued at more than $24 million.
  • Qualified all assigned technical crews through multiple successive live-fire events safely, on schedule, and on target while maintaining 100% equipment accountability and 92% readiness for critical systems.
  • Built a workforce readiness program that achieved 95% retention, 98.1% medical readiness, a battalion-best 83.3% professional education completion rate, and nine new team members.
2009 - 2010

Company Executive Officer

U.S. Army Central Command · Multinational Force & Observers

First Lieutenant rank insignia
  • Built a tracking system for personnel, administrative, and training requirements that enabled the organization to complete and validate 100% of its pre- and post-mobilization requirements ahead of every peer unit.
  • Coordinated training schedules, risk controls, maintenance follow-through, and reporting across headquarters and remote sites during a multinational peacekeeping mission.
  • Planned complex training without incident, led four verification missions and three formal investigations, and briefed senior multinational leadership on the findings.
2008 - 2009

Battery Operations Officer

Kansas Army National Guard

First Lieutenant rank insignia
2006 - 2008

Platoon Leader

Kansas Army National Guard

Second Lieutenant rank insignia

Community

Volunteer experience

2024 - PresentKansas Cannoneers

Web Developer

Kansas Cannoneers

2016 - 2025Sigma Nu KSU Alumni

Digital Communications Officer

Sigma Nu KSU Alumni

Recommendations

What colleagues say

“Derek Leeds has been a tremendous help with our website, newsletter, and all digital promotions. I would highly recommend if you need a top notch web developer and specialist with the website to hire Derek! He has met all the challenges and has made our website run smoothly.”
John RiesterJohn RiesterPublisher and Owner · retrofit magazine
“Derek is a gifted, detail oriented project manager with a strong aptitude for technology. His ability to drive multiple initiatives and the skilled manner with which he communicates complex tasks through easy to follow diagrams make him an indispensable part of the Drive team.”
Jasper MullarneyJasper MullarneyFounder · Adrevio