Josh Koyfman is a senior at Deerfield High School and a 4-year DECA member. He is grateful for the opportunity to lead Illinois DECA to a successful year and excited to serve as the President of the 2025-2026 State Action Team.

Josh first heard the word DECA when he was 9 years old, as his older brother beamed with excitement after qualifying for ICDC. Following his jealousy of not being able to tag along on the Disney World trip, Josh learned to just Let It Go and adopt a Hakuna Matata attitude that his opportunity to go To Infinity and Beyond would be near. While Josh had his eyes set on the pixie dust of Cinderella’s Castle in sunny Orlando, it was through DECA that Josh met his closest friends, created memories to last a lifetime, and finally experienced the thrill of Disney’s Tron ride. One of his favorite moments was during the bus ride to his very first Regionals competition when he sat next to a student he hadn’t met before. What started as a friendly GamePigeon Mancala rivalry evolved into a friendship, resulting in them working on a Prepared Event together for the past two years. Josh strives to coordinate new activities that will give members opportunities to form such spontaneous connections that lead to meaningful friendships. From being hypnotized during the ILCDC entertainment session to waiting in a long line for the elevator after the Opening Ceremony, Josh has learned to appreciate the little things that make DECA a one-of-a-kind experience.

This year, Josh serves as the co-president of Deerfield DECA, Illinois DECA’s largest chapter with over 350 members. Josh loves the opportunity he has to make a meaningful impact in his school community, earning him the nickname Mr. DECA from some of his friends. Competing in Principles of Marketing in his first year, Josh has since focused on the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series (SEM), where he placed 3rd at ICDC last year. Josh is also excited to turn his golf glove accessory startup into a Startup Business Plan (ESB) presentation. Having qualified for ICDC the past three years, Josh hopes to earn his spot again this year to explore all that Atlanta has to offer.

Outside of DECA, Josh is a captain of his school’s congressional debate team, a member of the Model UN team, a Varsity tennis player, and a public address announcer for high school athletic contests. If you ever attend a Deerfield game, you may hear his voice over the speakers!

In his free time, Josh enjoys transferring his tennis skills to the new craze of pickleball, crushing his brother in Madden, and getting the most accurate news from Colin Jost’s and Michael Che’s Saturday Night Live Weekend Update. Josh’s favorite artist is Pitbull, who he has seen in concert 3 times, and he also loves his adorable Cavapoo dog, Luca.

Josh is thrilled for the year ahead and can’t wait to help every member Go the Extra with Illinois DECA!eam this year and make Illinois DECA the best it can be. She can’t wait to support each member in their journey to Be the One this year with DECA!