Pam Yancey Talks About Her New Role

After nearly 35 years in banking, Pam Yancey is putting her skills to work for the community that she has loved for 30 years. As the new President/CEO of Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau, Yancey began her new role in December 2023, but her years of volunteer experience within the organization and with the community make the role an obvious fit. She served on the Taney County Partnership board, the economic development arm of the Chamber, for 10 years and served as the chair. Yancey was also in her second term on the Chamber Board and was about to serve as the chair.

“Serving on the board really gave me a better insight into what goes on here, but I tell you, until you switch that hat off and put on the Chamber/CVB hat and get in and see what all goes on every day, you really don’t know,” says Yancey.

She draws the connection to the hard work she saw in her husband, a retired musician who played in the Branson shows for 29 years. “I’d always laugh and say ‘to the people sitting in the audience, you make it look like anyone could just pick up an instrument and play,’ but I know all the hours, practice and hard work that goes into it,” says Yancey. As a part of the staff now, Yancey notes all the details that go into making something great.

Branson is poised for growth with a jump of more than 1 million visitors since 2019, and it reached its high-water mark in 2023 with 10.28 million annual visitors. And with Yancey’s insider experience, there will be very little time needed to orient her to the community and its players. “Relationships are key in our community. We are cautiously optimistic that we will grow that [number of visitors] in 2024,” says Yancey.