Running for State Office

Candidates will give a speech during the Campaign Session at the State Conference


Running for State Office is both fun and rewarding. The chance to serve Michigan DECA’s 7,000 members is an exciting opportunity and a big responsibility. Being elected as an officer is an honor… but serving entails a lot of commitment, hard work and dedication. Michigan DECA encourages potential candidates to talk to their parents, chapter advisor, employer, guidance counselor and principal to discuss the responsibilities involved in holding a state office.

Rewards of being a Michigan DECA State Officer include:

  • Personal satisfaction and growth
  • Development of life-long leadership skills
  • Travel to exciting places, and meeting new people
  • Plan the Michigan DECA State Leadership, District and State Career Development Conferences
  • Visit high schools and universities
  • Recognition for your chapter and community

The qualifications to run for a State Office are:

  • Active membership in an affiliated Michigan chapter in the high school division of DECA
  • Must have held a responsible position at the chapter level
  • Recommended by the chapter advisor and the school administrators
  • Have good speaking and writing skills

Please note: once you become a State Officer, you are not allowed to compete in any competitive event at the District or State level. You may compete at the International Conference (if you are named as a qualifier at the State Conference) after being newly elected as an officer, since your term of office does not officially start until after ICDC.

What kind of training will I receive?

  • At the International Conference (if you attend), newly elected State Officers will attend training sessions. If you are competing, these sessions will be worked around your competition schedule.
  • In May, you will attend a training camp for State Officers (location to be announced, somewhere in Southeastern Michigan).
  • In July, you will attend the Summer Officer Leadership Training, hosted by National DECA in Washington D.C.
  • Also in July, you will have the opportunity to attend the Western Region Leadership Training Camp, held in Arizona.
  • You will have the opportunity to attend the Central Region Leadership Conference.

Additional training will be available during State Officer meetings throughout your term of office.

What do I need to do?

  • Those interested in running for a state office are encouraged to give a speech at their District Conference. Note, you may not mail or give campaign materials to chapters until you pass the State Officer Candidate Screening.
  • Study the Candidate Guidebook.
  • Submit the Screening Registration Form by February 3, 2012 to attend the State Officer Screening.
  • Complete the State Officer Candidate Application, and bring five (5) copies of the application to the State Officer Screening.
  • Attend the State Officer Candidate Screening on February 11, 2012 at the Causeway Bay Hotel in Lansing. The screening panel consists of current State Officers and Michigan DECA Alumni members. At the screening, potential candidates will be given a written qualification exam, participate in a candidate interview, present a 2 minute speech on “DECA, and what it means to me”, and participate in a skills activity.

What happens next?
After the screening, you will be notified if you have been approved as an official State Officer Candidate by the end of the next week. Now you can start campaigning! You will need to submit the Campaign Materials Form, along with a copy of your campaign flyer to the Michigan DECA office by March 1, 2012.


Note: You will not run for a specific office, rather you will run for a position on the State Officer team. Once elected, in May you will attend a training camp where you will get to know your fellow officers. Your team will then vote as to who will hold each position.

At the State Conference, your campaign flyer will be included in the voting delegate’s packet. You are required to attend a candidate meeting. Before the opening session, you will be given the opportunity to pass out your campaign materials at your table in the atrium. Plan on making a display for your campaign table, and recruit some friends to help you staff your table. Then you will give a speech during the Campaign Session. Results of the voting will be announced when the new officer team is sworn-in on stage during the Awards session on Sunday.

If you have any questions about being a State Officer, your best resource is to contact a current State Officer. You can also contact Michael Parr, Michigan DECA’s State Officer Coordinator (and past State Officer) at mparr@mideca.org.