Contact: Melissa Reifert
December 7, 2006

MECC Hosts DECA District Leadership Competition

On November 30, approximately 120 students from Wise, Dickenson, and Lee Counties participated in the 2006-2007 Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) District Leadership Competition. DECA is an international association of high school students studying marketing, management, and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service.

This year’s District Leadership Competition was held on the campus of Mountain Empire Community College, where participants competed in 13 different areas including food marketing, retail and service marketing, management scenarios, general marketing, interviewing, selling, and marketing communication events.

Several MECC faculty and staff served as judges for the competitions, held in Phillips-Taylor Hall and the college’s Career Center. In between events, students received campus tours from MECC Diplomats, ate lunch in the college’s Red Fox Grill, and made use of the Slemp Student Center game room.

“They (the students) like to be at the college and in a college setting,” said Appalachia High School marketing teacher Janet Giles, who directed the event. After lunch, an awards ceremony was held with the following students receiving honors:

Automotive Services Marketing – 1st place: William Hunsaker, Coeburn High School; 2nd place: Joe Hobbs, Appalachia High School; and 3rd place: Marshall Dotson, Lee High School

Food Marketing Associate Level - 1st place: Brittany Barlow, Lee High School; 2nd place: R.J. Robbins, Coeburn High School; and 3rd place: Travis Thomas, Lee High School

Food Marketing Management Level – 1st place: Andrew McFarland, Appalachia High School; 2nd place: Stephanie Clisso, J.J. Kelly High School; and 3rd place – Emily Turner, Lee High School

Retail Merchandising – 1st place: Amber Salyer, Coeburn High School; 2nd place: William Willis, Lee High School; and 3rd place: Courtney Dorton, Lee High School

Apparel and Accessories Marketing – 1st place: Andrew Buchanan, Coeburn High School; 2nd place: Adrian Childress, Clintwood High School; and Brandi Carter, Lee High School

Quick Service Restaurant Marketing – 1st place: Jay Hill, Coeburn High School; 2nd place: Laken Fleming, Clintwood High School; and 3rd place: Stephanie Noe, Lee High School

Sports and Entertainment – 1st place: Grant Fuller, Clintwood High School; 2nd place: Ace Garrett, Lee High School; and 3rd place: Josh Woodard, Lee High School

Business Service Marketing – 1st place: Tiffini Edwards, Lee High School; 2nd place: Will Lester, J.J. Kelly High School; and 3rd place: Alex Boggs, J.J. Kelly High School

Marketing Management – 1st place: Chelsea Pope, Clintwood High School; 2nd place: Joe Parks, Lee High School; and 3rd place: Alisha Huff, Appalachia High School

Job Interview – 1st place: Nick Stapleton, Lee High School, 2nd place: Shannon Fleming, Clintwood High School; and 3rd place: Cody Lawson, Lee High School

Communications – 1st place: Nikki Hurd, Lee High School; 2nd place: Mary Phillips, Clintwood High School; and 3rd place: Bethany Rupert, Lee High School

Selling – 1st place: Hunter McFarland, Appalachia High School; 2nd place: Miranda Crabtree, Lee High School; and 3rd place: James Rose, Coeburn High School

Restaurant Food Service Management – 1st place: Christina Adkins, J.J. Kelly High School; 2nd place: Jill Winters, Lee High School; and 3rd place: Kayla Masters, J.J. Kelly High School

At the awards ceremony, Gregory Killough, Superintendent of Wise County Schools; Barry Nelson, Chairman of the Wise County School Board; and Buz Akridge, Principal of Appalachia High School, presented the honors to students that won or placed in each competition.

First place winners in the 2006-2007 DECA District Leadership Competition, held on the campus of MECC, were Christina Adkins, J.J. Kelly High School; Brittany Barlow, Lee High School; Andrew Buchanan, Coeburn High School; Tiffini Edwards, Lee High School; Grant Fuller, Clintwood High School; Jay Hill, Coeburn High School; William Hunsaker, Coeburn High School; Nikki Hurd, Lee High School; Andrew McFarland, Appalachia High School; Hunter McFarland, Appalachia High School; Chelsea Pope, Clintwood High School; Amber Salyer, Coeburn High School; and Nick Stapleton, Lee High School.

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