Meet Your 2024-25 Indiana DECA State Leadership Team
President
Shae Punzal
Hey Indiana DECA! My name is Shae Punzal and I am your Indiana State President! I’m currently a senior at Guerin Catholic High School and this is my fourth year in DECA.
Outside of DECA, I love sunrises and sunsets, going to the gym, shoes, and all things skincare chemistry and biology. I am extremely interested in dermatology and real estate. I’m also a captain of the Varsity Cheer team, member of the VOICE Indiana Core Leadership team, a Co-President of my school’s DECA Chapter, a member of National Honor Society, and more. I’m so excited and grateful for the chance to meet and serve all of you!
Feel free to reach out to me anytime!
Instagram: @shaepunzal
Email: president@indianadeca.org
VP of Finance
Bella Balmaseda
Hello Indiana DECA!! My name is Bella Balmaseda and I’m your VP of Finance! I’m a junior at Brownsburg High School, and this will be my third year as a DECA member.
Beyond DECA, I am the Class of 2026 Student Advisory Representative, an active member in CHAIN Link, an officer of Interact Club, and a steadily improving pole vaulter. I am passionate about all things finance and wealth management! I’m still obsessed with Grey’s Anatomy, I have a Target credit card I use almost daily, and Starbucks is basically my second home. I am extremely honored and excited to serve all of you for the 2024-25 school year!
Please feel free to contact me with questions.
LinkedIn: Bella Balmaseda
Email: vpfinance@indianadeca.org
VP of Marketing
Vishnu Vijayachandran
Hey, Indiana DECA! I'm Vishnu Vijayachandran, and I'm jazzed to be your VP of Marketing for Team 79. This is my fourth year in DECA, and I'm super excited to enhance the DECA spirit all across Indiana.
When I'm not knee-deep in DECA action, I wear a couple of other hats—Homestead High School’s Senior Class President and President of the Fort Wayne Mayor’s Youth Council. In my downtime, I enjoy those classic Midwestern hobbies: driving with the music blasting, binge-watching movies, and dominating at chess, tennis, Crossy Road, and even Among Us.
Team 79 and I are pumped to support you throughout the 2024-2025 school year. I'm always up for meeting new people, so don’t be a stranger!
Instagram: @vishnu_incorporated or LinkedIn: Vishnu Vijayachandran
Email: vpmarketing@indianadeca.org
VP of Hospitality
Peyton Wormer
What is up, Indiana DECA? I am Peyton Wormer, a senior at Yorktown High School. I am both honored and excited to be Team 79’s VP of Hospitality! Besides finding me at DECA events, you will likely see me at a local Starbucks ordering a Strawberry Lemonade Refresher–with one scoop of Lavender Powder, at the pool, or playing tennis. My favorite school subjects are physics, Spanish, and math. Durante mi tiempo libre, I enjoy hanging out with friends and giving back to my community; in fact, recently, I started working as a development intern at the Muncie Mission. I am ready to help Indiana DECA members Be The One on our way to becoming experienced leaders and entrepreneurs! Please feel free to follow and contact me at any time.
Instagram: @Peyton.Wormer or LinkedIn: Peyton Wormer
VP of Leadership
Cooper Bohn
¿Qué tal Indiana DECA? My name is Cooper Bohn, but you can call me Coop. I am excited to serve as your VP of Leadership this year, as I will be aiming to enhance your leadership skills and pave your path to success through activities outside of competition. I am currently a senior at Westfield High School, and this is my fourth year as a DECA member.
Outside of DECA, I spend most of my time playing golf and working at a golf course. I plan to study Accounting & Finance in college and hope to pursue a career in that field. I hope to connect with as many of you as I can on an individual level!
Feel free to reach out and connect with me.
Instagram: @cooperbohn3 or LinkedIn: Cooper Bohn
Email: vpleadership@indianadeca.org
VP of Career Development
Brycen Shively
Hello there, Indiana DECA! My name is Brycen Shively and I am your VP of Career Development for the 2024-2025 school year. I am a senior at Yorktown High School and this is my fourth year in DECA.
As many of you know, when I’m not spending time on DECA, I am always playing some niche board game or playing tennis! I’m so thrilled to spend this year with you all.
If you have any questions throughout the year please feel free to contact me.
Instagram: @brycen_shively
Email: vpcareerdev@indianadeca.org
Region 1 President
Matthew Deahl
Hey, Indiana DECA! I’m Matthew Deahl and I’m so blessed to have the opportunity to serve as your Region 1 President for this year! I am a current senior at Penn High School and this is my fourth year in DECA.
Outside of DECA, you can find me playing piano or running my tutoring business Speakiful. I love rainy days, Christmas music (all year round), and EVERYTHING caffeine.
Please feel free to reach out to me.
Instagram: @indeca_r1
Email: region1@indianadeca.org
Region 2 President
Ava Britton-Heitz
Hi, DECA!!! I’m Ava Britton-Heitz, your new Region 2 President. I’m a senior at Westfield High School where I’m involved in DECA and other school activities like Dance Marathon, National Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta. I started DECA my freshman year and it was super scary at first, but it has seriously helped me so much. That’s why I decided to join the state officer team, to help more people become confident in their abilities.
I run cross country and track at my school which takes up a lot of my time, but I love my team! In my free time, I enjoy reading, listening to music, watching Survivor, and being outside as much as possible.
I love talking to new people, so feel free to contact me.
Instagram: @indeca_r2 or @ava.brittonheitz
Email: region2@indianadeca.org
Region 3 President
Sai Boda
Hey Indiana DECA! My name is Sai Boda, and I am your Region 3 President this year. I am a junior at Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, and I look forward to this opportunity to create a positive impact on Indiana DECA.
Outside of DECA, I enjoy playing tennis and spending time with my family and friends. I also enjoy participating in various clubs at school along with helping out at volunteer organizations. I am interested in the medical field, and conducted research into glioblastoma over the summer.
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions!
Instagram: @indeca_r3 or @shamyantboda
Email: region3@indianadeca.org
Region 4 President
Charlie Conner
Hello Indiana DECA! My name is Charlie Conner and I am your Region 4 President! I am a senior at Terre Haute North High School in Terre Haute.
In addition to my involvement in DECA, I enjoy being outdoors, learning, and am passionate about chemistry. By the way, science is orange. I play tennis and bike often. I’m interested in finance and business data management.
It’s my honor to serve you all this year!
Instagram: @indeca_r4
Email me at region4@indianadeca.org
Region 5 President
Lily Cox
Hey Indiana DECA my name is Lily Cox and I’m excited to be serving as your region 5 President. I am currently a senior at Monrovia High School and I’m involved in NHS, Sunshine Club and student government.
I play golf, and I run cross country and track. Outside of my extracurricular activities and DECA, I love to get fro-yo, hang out with friends, and relax by the pool. I work at Chicago’s Pizza and in the future, I hope to own my own food truck by the beach.
Feel free to reach out to me!
Instagram: @indeca_r5 or @lilyg.45
Email: region5@indianadeca.org