Who is Derek Hunt from A Sparrow Falls and what is their importance?

A large man with wide and powerful shoulders, Dirk Courtney has a strong chin, and perfect white teeth inside a wide and determined mouth. His eyes are dark and intelligent, and he radiates strength. Ruled by greed, Dirk bought his way into the Ladyburg Farmers Bank by making Ronald Pye a deal he could not refuse. Six hundred thousand pounds in cash bought him sixty percent of the Bank's shares, and a piece of Ronald Pye's soul in the bargain. Having left his home in Ladyburg as a young man estranged from his father and family, Dirk returned as a rich man surrounded by dark rumors of his unsavory character.