YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
When Pamela Yancey sees a place where she can help business owners or a community reach their goals, saying no isn’t in her vocabulary.
“I love people,” she says. “One of my greatest joys is getting to know people and understand how their businesses work and how I can help them. That’s what I loved so much about being a banker.”
Yancey draws parallels to her new role – somewhat of a career reset from decades in banking – as CEO of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“It’s still trying to help our local businesses be better and achieve their goals,” she says. “I’m an open book, easy to talk to and I love to listen. I love to give advice when it’s asked for.”
Yancey worked in the banking industry for nearly 35 years, starting out because she “needed a job” after moving to the area with her husband, who worked as a musician in Branson. She didn’t have a college degree but worked her way up to being a branch manager and finally the community banking president for Arvest Bank in Branson.
“It was something where I could fulfill that desire in me to help people,” she says.
She’s also served in many civic roles, including as an advisory board member for Tri-Lakes United Way, board member and treasurer for the Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks, board member for the Branson chamber, and a budget and finance committee member for the city of Branson.
“Somebody asked me one day, ‘How do you find time to do all the things that you do?’ I just responded back to them and said, ‘You will always find time to do the things that are important to you,’” she says. “That’s why I’m super excited about stepping into this new role because I feel like I can do even more for our community in this capacity.”
Yancey heads up an office with 32 employees, roughly 100 volunteers and over 860 members, according to Springfield Business Journal’s list of the Area’s Largest Chambers of Commerce, on which the Branson chamber ranked No. 2. She suceeds Jason Outman, who exited without reason in March 2023 after serving as CEO for two years.
A major part of Yancey’s role will be to promote tourism in the Branson region. The city had a record of 10.2 million visitors in 2022, beating its previous record of 10 million from the prior year.
Excited for her new role she started at the Chamber on Dec. 4, 2023, Yancey said she plans to listen to the needs of the chamber staff, community and business owners before setting goals to help Branson continue to be a great place to visit and live.
“I’ll tell you one thing about Ozark mountain country, is when we come together in agreement, there’s nothing that we can’t achieve,” she says.
Moseley’s Discount Office Products was purchased; Side Chick opened in Branson; and the Springfield franchise store of NoBaked Cookie Dough changed ownership.