For the News-Tribune
KEYSER – Mineral County Technical Center student Bryan Staggers was elected president of West Virginia DECA at the recent WV DECA Career Development Conference held Feb. 28-March 2 at the Marriott Hotel in Charleston.
Staggers was elected from a field of nine candidates vying for the office.
DECA is a national association of marketing students. As president of West Virginia DECA, Staggers will have the opportunity to lead DECA chapters throughout the state for the 2009-2010. His duties will be assumed after the International Conference in Anaheim, Calif., this April and will include attending a leadership seminar in Washington, D.C., planning the WV DECA Fall Leadership Conference, presenting a workshop at DECA’s North Atlantic Region Conference in November, and presiding over next spring’s Career Development Conference.
He will also be involved in recruiting members for individual chapters from across the state.
At the conference, Bryan’s campaign theme was “Brighten Tomorrow.” As part of the campaign, he prepared campaign information such as a brochure and his action plan, manned a campaign booth, and gave a campaign speech before a general session of DECA members. Bryan also took a test and was interviewed by an officer’s advisory committee headed by Linda Staub of Hampshire High School, who is DECA’s state officer advisor.
Staggers has been a member of his local DECA chapter, Mineral County Technical Center DECA, for the past two years. This year he served as co-president of the chapter. He has competed both years in the Public Relations Plan Project and has represented WV DECA at the International level of competition.
He is a junior at Keyser High School and a marketing student at the Mineral County Technical Center. He currently is president of the junior class at Keyser, co-vice president of the Student Council, co-historian of the Hi-Y, and a member of the Key Club, Debate Club, ACES, Keyser Krazies, and Mu Alpha Theta Math Honorary.
Bryan is also active in sports, playing soccer for two years and tennis for three. He was a state qualifier in tennis his sophomore year.
Bryan was awarded first place category winner in the state science fair in 2007 and 2008, won second place in the State Moose Youth Awareness Program, and was a 2008 HOBY Ambassador. He has volunteered at Energy Express since 2004.
He is the son of Harley O. Staggers Jr. and Leslie S. Staggers and has one brother, Harley O. Staggers III, and one sister, Elizabeth C. Staggers. The family resides in Keyser.
Keyser, W.Va. —
