Thomas (Tom) Schwartz a/k/a Tom Derek

Life’s been very good to me. Even with those inevitable ups and downs, I’ve rolled with the punches and had a wonderfully unconventional career along the way! As General Counsel to Miami’s first Foreign-Trade Zone, I played a leadership role in launching South Florida's global trade and media business engines, then in mid-life, had an exciting L.A. acting career in Hollywood’s mainstream feature films and tv (as tough-guy “Tom Derek”), became an art dealer (online and in Budapest, Hungary), and I’m now topping it all off as a public servant, completing my third year as an Assistant County Attorney in north central Florida’s Marion County, officially recognized as the “Horse Capital of the World!” (it’s home to over 600 thoroughbred farms and the massive World Equestrian Center, the premier global destination for equine breeding, training, and competition).

The legendary Rocky Balboa of “Rocky” fame, once said “It’s not how hard you hit. It’s how hard you can ‘get’ hit and keep moving forward – that’s how winning is done.” So, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to the teaching staff at Miami Beach Sr. High that mentored me and set my feet on the path of learning and resilience - granting me their time and kind interest, and instilling in me the values that have served me well on my journey.