Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

The Brighton High School DECA contingent brought home an impressive 57 medals from the State Career Development Conference, held Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Huntington Place (formerly Cobo Hall) in Detroit.

DECA, formerly called the Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a non-profit organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

Over 4,500 DECA members and their advisers from high schools, colleges and universities across the state attended the three-day event. Members focused on improving their leadership and professional skills in hopes of making it to the state finals.

According to Brighton DECA coaches Ryan Ford and Michelle Costa, The local group produced an imposing 21 state finalists and, remarkably, 11 state champions. The state champions, along with six Leadership Academy qualifiers, two school-based Enterprise, and one Gold Merit individual from Brighton, will represent Michigan DECA at the annual international event to be held April 26-29 at Orlando, Florida.