Introduction
About the Authors
Cynthia Gendall Basteri is currently
Director of Community Services for
Tewksbury Public Schools, Massachusetts.
Previously, she taught marketing for 26
years. In addition to serving as a Competitive
Events Director at the district, state, and
national levels, she served on DECA’s
National Task Force for Competitive Events
and the Secondary Program Advisory
Council. She earned both her bachelor’s
degree in Mathematics and master’s degree
in Occupational Education/Administration
from Fitchburg State College and received
a doctorate degree from Nova Southeastern
University.
Brenda Clark has taught marketing
for over 25 years for the Jenison, Michigan
Public Schools. She currently serves on
the National DECA Competitive Events
Committee. She is a DECA advisor and
has had students win state and national
recognition. In Michigan, she has worked
with marketing, business, and hospitality
instructors on curriculum development. She
was a national trainer for the MBAResearch
Model Program for five years and has
consulted with many states on marketing
education. She has also taught at the
community college and university levels. She
earned her bachelor’s degree in Marketing
Education, a master’s degree in Educational
Leadership, and an Ed.D. in Educational
Leadership with a concentration in Career
and Technical Education from Western
Michigan University.
Jennie Sobel was a marketing teacher-
coordinator and DECA advisor at Robert E.
Lee High School, San Antonio, Texas, for
over 28 years. Under her supervision, Lee
High School established one of the first
school stores in the San Antonio area. She
served on the State DECA Board of Directors
and as Director of District 2 DECA in
Texas for eight years. Her work experience
includes retail experience as a buyer for
Joske’s of Texas. During 1995–1998, she
was chairperson of the Marketing Writing
Team for the Texas Education Agency, which
updated the Essential Elements into Essential
Knowledge and Skills statements. She
earned her B.S. in Business Administration
from Trinity University, certification in
Distributive Education from the University
of North Texas, and an M.B.A. from the
University of Texas in San Antonio.
About the Contributing Writers
Judy Commers has been a marketing
teacher-coordinator and DECA advisor for
Indiana public schools for over 31 years. For
over 14 years, she has supervised a student-
based enterprise. She also teaches business
and marketing at the community college
level and is an instructor for the Indiana
Marketing Academy, which teachers attend
for college credit. She received her bachelor’s
degree in Business and Distributive
Education and an M.A.E. in Vocational
Business and Distributive Education from
Ball State University.
Mary Wolfe has worked in all segments
of the fashion industry, from textile research
to retail sales. She designed for a national
sportswear firm, and then opened her own
apparel business. She was vice president of
marketing for an architectural signage sales
and marketing company and has taught
fashion marketing courses at the University
of Delaware. She received her bachelor’s
degree in Textiles and Clothing from Iowa
State University and an M.B.A. from West
Chester University of Pennsylvania.