State Officer Applications: Team 81

Applications to become a State Officer for the 2026-27 school year are now open! The application can be found on indianadeca.org under the High School tab.

Changes Made to the Application Process

The application process for Team 81 will be different than in the past. Instead of having students run for specific Vice President positions, like Marketing or Finance, they will be campaigning to be a general Vice President and responsibilities will be assigned by the committee after students are elected. There will still be five Vice President positions available, as well as the five Region Presidents and President.

At the State Career Development Conference, candidates will now be given the opportunity to network with voting delegates and other DECA members at the Officer Meet and Greet Session. This meet and greet will happen on Sunday, March 1. Candidates are required to submit their campaign poster that they plan to use during the meet and greet by Saturday, February 14. Along with their campaign poster, students are required to submit their script for the speech they will be giving to the voting delegates on Monday, March 2. 

To prepare for the Meet and Greet Session and Election Session, candidates are permitted to campaign on social media once they receive an email confirming their eligibility to run for state office. Inappropriate usage of social media will result in disqualification. 

Important Deadlines and Dates

The application must be submitted by Wednesday, January 14. If a student’s application is not received by that date, their application will not be considered. Once applications are reviewed, students will be interviewed by the committee and take their Officer Screening test. This will take place on Saturday, January 24. Students who fail to attend are automatically disqualified. If candidates are elected for office, they are required to attend the International Career Development Conference. 

If you have any further questions or concerns regarding the application process, you can email the State Officer Coordinator, Kelly Miller, at officercoordinator@indianadeca.org or the State Advisor, Janice Brown, at indianadeca@gmail.com. 

Written by Tikilya Zheng, Region 5 President