Derrill McAteer was born and raised in Brooksville, Florida. He is a sixth generation Floridian. Derrill graduated from Wake Forest University (cum laude) in 1999 and the University of Florida College of Law (with honors) in 2002. Derrill has been a practicing attorney since 2003. He has worked in the public sector and in private practice. Derrill served as Sumter County’s attorney from 2007 to 2011 and as an Assistant Volusia County Attorney assigned to land use and zoning issues from 2011 to 2013. He also worked as an Assistant City Attorney for St. Petersburg from 2017 to 2020. While working with the city Derrill served as the attorney for water resources while assisting in land use and zoning matters. He returned to private practice in 2020. Derrill is a member of the Hillsborough County and Hernando County Bar Associations. He is a past president of the Hernando County Bar Association.