with legislators and discuss the importance of Career and Techni-cal Education.

During Febru-ary, I will also be preparing for the State CDCs I will at-tend in March. As of now, I have been in-vited to attend state conferences in Indi-ana, Wisconsin, and Missouri.

Please contact me if I can assist your chapter or state asso-ciation. I can be reached at decavpmi-cah@gmail.com.

DECA Wishes,

Micah Melling Central Region VP DECA, Inc. 2011-2012

Dear DECA Members,

For many peo-ple, January and February are dull, uneventful months. But if you’re a DECA member, these months are anything but dull and uneventful. If you’re a DECA mem-ber, you have compe-tition on your mind during January and February.

Although I am no longer competing, January was a busy month for me, and February will cer-tainly be busy, too.

On January 21-22, I attended the Missouri DECA State CDC Planning Meet-

ing. The MO DECA State Action team is an impressive group, and they have crafted an incredible State CDC.

From January 25-29, I attended the DECA National Offi-cer Mid-Year Meet-ing. Seeing my fel-low National Officers was a great pleasure. For more details on this event, go to page 2.

As earlier mentioned, February will be a busy month for me, as well.

On February 8th, I will attend the Missouri DECA District 4 CDC. I competed at this competition for 4 years and am ex-cited to once again be a part of this event.

On February 15, I will attend the Missouri ACTE Legis-lative Day. Along with other CTSO members, I will meet

A Word from Your CRVP

DECA Prepares Emerging Leaders and Entrepreneurs in Marketing, Management, Hospitality, and Finance.

FEBRUARY, 2012

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 6

Central Region DECA

Special Points of Interest

National Officer Team 66 had an in-

credible time at their Mid-Year Conference

in Salt Lake City.

National DECA is en-couraging chapters to

promote their efforts during CTE Month.

Central Region DECA

is all over the web. Be sure to check it

out!

Inside This Issue:

National Officer Mid-Year

Conference

2

CTE Month 3

DECA.org Blogs 3

The Movement to Introduce

Website

3

State Officer Spotlight 4

Central Region Online

Updates

4

A Letter from the National

President

4

From January 25-29, the National Officers met in Salt Lake City, Utah for their Mid-Year Confer-ence.

Without a doubt, the National Officers had an ex-tremely productive meeting in Salt Lake City.

They worked with PDC Productions, the company that pro-duces the general ses-sions at ICDC. Without question, the sessions at ICDC will be unforget-table!

The National

Officers also reviewed their Program of Work. They are proud to report that most of their goals have al-ready been accom-plished. Throughout the rest of their terms, all of the officers will continue to provide resources for DECA members to use.

Additionally, the National Officers of the high school divi-sion met with the Na-tional Officers of the collegiate division. Together, they devel-oped formal recom-mendations for the DECA staff.

It wasn’t all work and no fun in Salt Lake City, however.

Both National Officer Teams at-tended a Utah Jazz basketball game at Energy Solutions Arena. This stunning arena will be the venue for the general sessions at ICDC!

Overall, the National Officer Team had an amazing time in Salt Lake City. They can’t wait to return in April with 15,000 DECA members!

National Officer Mid-Year Conference

“Mid-Year was a complete

success for Team 66. We were

able to Leave Salt Lake with a

sharper focus and new goals. I

could not be happier!” - Claire

Coker, National DECA

President

Page 2 CENTRAL REGION DECA

Top: Team 66 with Mrs. Mar-sha Bock, member of the DECA Board of Directors.

Bottom: Team 66 posing in front of the beautiful moun-tains.

Team 66 poses for a group picture after meeting with the

Collegiate DECA Na-tional Officers.

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 6 Page 3

February is Ca-reer and Technical Edu-cation (CTE) Month. Since DECA is a Career and Technical Student Organization, DECA members have plenty of reasons to celebrate CTE Month.

National DECA is asking chapters to par-ticipate in an advocacy campaign for CTE Month. The advocacy campaign asks chapters to sponsor activities fo-cused on three target

audiences: students, leg-islators, and the local community. For more information on this advo-cacy campaign, please visit http://www.deca. org/events/33/.

Helpful resources for CTE Month can be found on DECA’s Slide-Share account (www. slideshare.net/DECAInc). Here is a list of poten-tially helpful resources.

- PowerPoint: Promoting Your DECA Chapter.

- PowerPoint: Obtaining Legislators’ Support.

- Document: DECA and Politics

- Document: Political Outreach Kit

If you need as-sistance with implement-ing activities for CTE Month, please contact Central Region Vice President Micah Melling. His email address is de-cavpmicah@gmail.com.

$1,000,000 for MDA in one year (next school year).

The Movement will soon launch a web-site to provide the DECA community with more information about this project. Once com-pleted, the website can be accessed at www.our mvmt.com.

The Movement is one of the most ambi-tious projects ever launched by a student organization.

The goal of The Movement is to “raise the bar” in terms of what the world thinks students can accomplish. DECA is going to accomplish this goal by having chapters collectively raise

The National Officer Team strongly encourages you to visit this website and learn more about this ambi-tious project.

After you visit The Movement’s website, feel free to contact a National Officer to re-ceive even more infor-mation about this en-deavor.

Career and Technical Education Month

“The Movement” to Introduce Website

DECA National Officers also submit blogs. Reading these blogs will give you an insight into the exciting world of Collegiate DECA!

The latest blogs are found on the home-page of deca.org. They are located in the lower left-hand corner.

After you’ve read the most recent blogs, take a look at the other facets of the web-site.

On deca.org, you can read more about your competitive event, learn about DECA’s National Advi-sory Board, and get more information about National DECA initia-tives. There is also an extensive “chapter re-sources” section. This portion of the website provides many excellent resources for your chap-ter.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit deca.org!

DECA.org Features Informative Officer Blogs

Have you visited deca.org lately? If not, you’ve probably missed some exciting blogs from the National Officer Team.

Each National Officer submits a blog at least once a month, sometimes more often. These blogs cover an array of topics: upcom-ing DECA events, Na-tional Officer initiatives, and information about marketing trends.

The Collegiate

“I love connecting to members in a

way other than keynotes and

workshops. In my blog, I can

provide inspiration and

encouragement that can be applied

to any aspect of life, not just

DECA.” - Jennifer Harrington,

North Atlantic Region Vice

President

“By celebrating CTE Month, you are cele-brating the founda-tion of DECA and the foundation of your

future success. Spread the word

about CTE by prov-ing how profes-

sional and success-ful it has made you!” - Kendra

Wrightson, Southern Region VP

The Movement is a fundraising effort for MDA in which all of

DECA can participate.

tions!

You get the most out of DECA when you put in as much effort as pos-sible, so manage your time wisely during this busy season.

I had a lot on my plate last spring, but by stay-ing determined and focused, I was able to succeed. I hope every one of you succeeds in the goals you all have set!

Best Wishes,

Claire Coker National President DECA, Inc. 2011-2012

Dear Central Re-gion DECA,

“DECA Primetime” is here, and we all should be gearing up for competition! Prac-tice your role plays and finish up those written events so that you are poised to walk on stage at your local and state competi-

A Letter from Your National President Central Region DECA:

Online Updates Have you checked out Cen-tral Region DECA’s online resources? The following is a list of the region’s online outlets… Facebook Twitter (@DECA_CR) Website (www.crdeca.

org) Wikipedia (this article

will be coming soon!) By frequently visiting these online outlets, you will always be “up to date” on the most recent DECA news.

State Officer Spotlight

“Richardson. Michael Richardson.” The previous phrase was the

campaign theme of current Missouri DECA State President Michael

Richardson, but his friends just call him “Big Mike.”

Mike describes his current position with MO DECA as his “most

proud accomplishment.” Throughout his involvement with the organiza-

tion, Mike has created some unforgettable memories.

“By far, my favorite DECA memory is when our CRVP Micah Melling

walked into our hotel after he was elected. I open-field tackled him

in the lobby...It was an accident, but it brought our friendship closer and was hilari-

ous for all who witnessed,” says Mike.

In addition to leading one of DECA‟s largest state associations, Mike is the cap-

tain of the police cadet corps in his county.

“I get to learn hard-to-hand combat and small-arms fire,” explains Mike. “I‟ve

actually gotten to fire several weapons that are in the videogame „Call of Duty.‟”

Mike also has a job that he describes as a “sweet gig.”

“When I‟m not fighting crime, I work at a dry cleaning store. While this may not

sound fun, I get everything cleaned for free,” says Mike.

Missouri DECA is fortunate to have Mike as their leader. He is certainly an asset

to the members in his state and to the entire Central Region of DECA.