Lima City Council unanimously honors Lima Senior DECA team for international win

Lima City Council adopted Resolution 5-25 on May 19, 2025, formally congratulating Lima Senior High School’s DECA team after the students won first place in the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando on April 29, 2025. The resolution recognized students Christian Ackerman, Davion Williamson and Mallory Gibson and advisors Chrissy Hood and Kalia Mosley.

Council members placed the resolution on the floor and passed it by voice and roll call; the clerk announced the adoption as a 7-0 vote. Councilor Janine Jordan moved the resolution; a second was recorded on the record. The resolution text presented to council credited the team’s “sales project” and four project milestones — Spartan Spirit Shack, corporate sponsorship drive, bag coffee sale and the DECA Marketplace — for contributing to the win.

The council paused its regular agenda for a recognition ceremony. Council members and the mayor’s office praised the students and their advisers. Councilor Nipper called the team “world champions” and told the students, “Stay there.” Councilor Gordon said, “These kids are some of the most incredible kids,” and urged them to return to Lima to lead the community in the future. Councilor Thompson told the students: “You’ve shown that you have worked hard,” and urged them to remember the moment in future challenges.

Advisor Chrissy Hood told council the students had led their project for two years and described how last year’s judge had been dismissive; this year the team advanced and beat roughly 200 teams in Orlando. Hood said the win was the product of broad local support and “every share, every repost, every just buying a bag of coffee that goes into the numbers that led us from state to ICDC.” Kalia Mosley, the team’s other advisor, described taking over as a first-year teacher and said the students had been “teachable” and “never failed to amaze me.”

Student Davion Williamson said the victory felt sweeter after last year’s setback: “Sometimes the errors and the problems just make the end even sweeter.” Christian Ackerman and other students thanked the advisers and the community for support.

After the council vote the students and advisors were invited to come forward and received applause. The resolution text will be entered into the city’s records as Resolution 5-25.

Votes and formal action: Resolution 5-25 was adopted by a 7-0 roll-call vote.