DECA CEO and leadership

Christopher Young, CAE, is chief program officer at DECA Inc., providing leadership in the areas of program development, member services, conferences and professional learning for both the high school and collegiate divisions. Young uses his extensive background with DECA to provide innovative and educationally relevant programs to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. Prior to this role, Young served as DECA’s high school division director for six years for the organization’s largest division that serves nearly 220,000 members. His efforts resulted in the development of new programs, increased member engagement, continued record-setting membership growth, an effective rebranding initiative and the implementation of innovative communication strategies. Since joining DECA Inc., high school division annual membership increased by 21%. Young joined DECA as assistant high school division director in 2009 after serving as the Missouri DECA and Collegiate DECA State Advisor, where he posted record membership increases. Concurrently, he served as state supervisor for business, marketing and information technology education at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, providing leadership in program management, curriculum, professional development and state policy for 200 marketing and cooperative education programs. Christopher has collaborated with a variety of educational, association and corporate groups on special projects and has been a featured speaker on association topics. His leadership has also netted numerous accolades for DECA Inc., including three ASAE Gold Circle awards. He is an active member of ASAE, PCMA and MPI.