Max Neri, a four-year DECA member and senior from Waubonsie Valley High School, is thrilled

and honored to represent Illinois DECA as President of the 2022-2023 State Action Team. Ever

since voting for his talented peers in the 2021 Fall Leadership Conference, Max was determined

to reach his full potential and lead Illinois DECA. Max is incredibly grateful for the assistance of

his mentors and fellow competitors for pushing him to excel in business, public speaking, and

networking.

As a timid Freshman, the DECA experience was entirely foreign to Max. Nevertheless, he chose

to compete in Principles of Business Management and Administration, and won Fourth Place at

West Suburban DECA Sectionals. Although ILCDC was canceled in 2020, Max considered the

hiatus an opportunity to study the intricacies of Marketing and Management and practice his

communication skills with virtual audiences. He was also delighted to serve on the ILDECA

Social Media Team as Twitter Manager, an experience that allowed him to get in touch with

many fantastic mentors at the state level.

After returning, Max decided to compete in Professional Selling and Business Services

Marketing, for which he earned First Place in both events at the 2022 Illinois Career

Development Conference. A month later, Max was thrilled to earn Fifth Place in Professional

Selling at the International Career Development Conference. Max believes that his experiences

with Professional Selling allowed him to become an expert at identifying and fulfilling needs - a

skill he believes will allow him to motivate IL DECA members to Get the Edge in the 2022-2023

season!

Outside of IL DECA, Max serves as President of his local DECA chapter. Additionally, he serves

as Co-President of Waubonsie Valley Aspiring Medical Professionals and Vice President of

Waubonsie Valley Psychology Club. At the same time, Max is proud to learn more about

medicine as an intern at his local urgent care, help homeless and at-risk youth as a Youth

Ambassador for the National Runaway Safeline, and tutor English to peers in his community. In

his free time, Max loves to read classic novels, practice kickboxing, and watch superhero movies

with friends. In college, Max intends to focus on economics and biology, with the intention of

applying to medical school and enrolling in an MD/MBA program. Max is fascinated by the

intersections of business and healthcare, and intends to become a private practice physician.

Ultimately, Max intends to bolster the talent of all Illinois DECA members throughout his tenure

as President. Whether you are an experienced member looking to finish strong, or a new member

excited to begin your DECA journey, Max is confident that the State Action Team will allow you

to succeed as a leader, businessperson, and lifelong learner.