A Century of Detroit Business

Built on Relationships. Driven by Results.

The Detroit Executives Association has been bringing Metro Detroit’s top business owners and executives together since 1926. We meet every week at the Detroit Athletic Club — one member per professional category, no exceptions.

What happens at a DEA lunch is simple: introductions, referrals, a featured member presentation, and real business getting done. Over 4,000 business transactions and leads flow through our membership in an average year. But what keeps people coming back for decades isn’t just the business — it’s the people.

1926

 Founded in Detroit

70+

Active Members

2000+

Annual Referrals 

Every Thursday at the DAC

What Happens at Lunch

Every week, 70+ members gather at the Detroit Athletic Club for one of the most efficient — and enjoyable — networking lunches in Metro Detroit. Here’s what to expect:

Networking Half Hour
Members mingle before lunch — introductions happen naturally, not forcibly.
Roll Call
Every member stands, introduces themselves, and acknowledges business given or received from fellow members.
The Boost
One member gives a short, enthusiastic spotlight on another member's business.
Speaker of the Day
A featured member gives an in-depth presentation of their business or service to the full group.
Door Prize
One lucky member wins every week. It's a small thing that adds to the culture.

“I’ve been a member of the DEA for over fifteen years. In that time, the relationships I’ve built here have driven more revenue to my business than any marketing channel I’ve ever invested in. You don’t get this from a chamber of commerce.”

Marshal Simons, Impakt Digital

Global Reach, Local Roots

Proud Member of the International Executives Association

The Detroit Executives Association’s network doesn’t stop at Detroit’s borders.

 Since 1916

Executives Associations have been connecting business owners city to city for over 100 years.

110+ Associations

 Official chapters across the US, Canada, England, Switzerland, South Africa and beyond.

5,000+ Member Firms

A worldwide network of owners and decision-makers — one per category, everywhere.

98%

 Member Retention Rate

Quotes White

“The DEA isn’t just a networking group — it’s a room full of people who actually pick up the phone when you call. I’ve done more business through this group than any other investment I’ve made.”

Marshal Simons – Impakt Digital

Since 1926

The History of The Detroit Executives Association

  • 1913 – W.H.C. Burnett joins the DAC, later becoming a co-founder of the DEA.
  • 1915 – The executive association movement begins in San Francisco, eventually spreading to 26 cities across the U.S. and Canada by 1928.
  • 1917 – George Klein joins the DAC, where he would remain a member for over 40 years.
  • 1926 – George Klein and W.H.C. Burnett co-found the Detroit Executives Association, holding its first organizational meeting at the Statler Hotel on February 26th.
  • 1927 – The association officially drops its international affiliation and is renamed the Detroit Executives Association on January 26th.
  • 1928 – DAC member James Vernor, Jr. of Vernor’s Ginger Ale serves as DEA president.
  • 1931 – A DEA member inspires the launch of a New York City executive association after attending a Detroit meeting and obtaining a copy of the DEA’s bylaws.
  • 1958 – A DEA newsletter reaffirms the organization’s core mission as strictly a business-getting and information-exchange organization.
  • 1979 – The DEA establishes its annual Executive of the Year award, which continues to be presented today.
  • 1980s – The DEA relocates its weekly meetings to the DAC after years at the Statler Hotel and a brief stint at the Masonic Temple.
  • 1996 – IEA member chapters vote to formalize the international organization beyond a loose grouping.
  • 2001 – The DEA officially joins the global IEA network after years of operating independently.
  • 2007 – DAC Board Director Tom MacFarlane serves as DEA president, continuing Clark Hill’s longstanding representation in the organization.