Junior Santino Guerra is running a campaign for DECA state officer.

In DECA, eight state officers help run the activities of DECA across the state, organizing events and heading various fields.

State officers also plan the Michigan DECA State Leadership and District and State Career Development Conferences.

Guerra’s campaign is for state officer, but his ambition is to become state president.

“If I get elected,” Guerra said, “I will use my experience to increase membership (for DECA), which will allow more competitive representation for us at the 2016 International Conference in Nashville, (Tenn.).”

The state officer with the most votes gets to choose what their position will be on the board of officers. These positions include president, secretary, and vice president of various fields such as public relations, communication, and career development.

The president’s duties include supervision of the other officers, organizing state-wide conferences and events, and being the spokesperson of the entire board at important DECA events.

Guerra’s campaign manager, Senior Trent Tuttle, thinks that Guerra has a good chance of winning.

“I think he (Guerra) will win through charisma,” Tuttle said. “He has a lot of ambition, determination, and experience.”

Currently, there are 12 candidates running for DECA state officer in Michigan.

Guerra feels confident that he is one of the best candidates for the presidency of Michigan DECA. He represents DECA District 1 along with two other candidates in the election.

The state officer position is appealing to Guerra for many reasons.

“I think (being an officer) will be a great experience to gain knowledge and prepare my future in politics,” Guerra said.

Guerra’s past experiences in politics, such as “working on the
Senate floor (as a Congressional page) and dealing with high pressure situations,” have helped him get to his current position.

“I’m interested in politics because I want to try and make a positive difference in the community,” Guerra said.

Guerra said that he would be a good DECA officer because he is a “clear thinker,” he has “answers to problems,” and he is “compelled to be a part of the solution.”

The Michigan DECA State Conference takes place March 13-15. Kearsley DECA members will compete against other chapters in various business-related events.

At the conference, DECA members will vote on their chosen candidates after hearing each of them speak and reviewing their campaign materials. The winners will be announced and sworn in during the Closing and Awards ceremony on the final day of the conference.

The candidates with the most votes will compose the next DECA board of officers and organize future DECA events as a team.

“I think there’s a fair share of competitors,” Guerra said, “but I have a fair shot (at winning).”

Guerra’s campaign is shooting for the best possible outcome.

“Our goal is ultimately for Santino to become president,” Tuttle said. “(The campaign) is his main focus.”