Pamela Yancey is a Woman Who Means Business

For Pamela Yancey, leadership means community service, building relationships, and unwavering faith in God. As President and CEO of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB, Yancey channels nearly 35 years of experience in banking and a lifetime of serving others into her role, creating meaningful connections for the community.

Yancey’s journey to becoming CEO was unexpected. Her husband, a musician, brought her to Branson years ago when the town’s economy was largely seasonal. Seeking stability—and benefits— Yancey found a permanent position at a bank, starting in bookkeeping and working her way through accounts and management. “Being a banker is more than just taking care of someone’s finances; you become someone’s trusted advisor,” she says. One of her fondest memories was helping an elderly widow navigate her finances after her husband died, even using vacation days to take her to doctor’s appointments.

Though Yancey always assumed she’d retire from banking, serving on the Chamber’s board of directors opened a new door. She was set to be the 2024 incoming chair, but when the CEO position opened, multiple people encouraged Yancey to apply. “My mentor said, ‘You’ve never been a banker—you’ve always been a leader who just happened to have banking skills. That job was made for you,’” Yancey shares. With encouragement from her husband, deep reflection and prayer, she embraced the challenge. A little over a year into being CEO, she says confidently, “God really wanted to put me here for a reason.”

Yancey’s daily routine includes quiet reflection, gratitude, scripture and coffee with her husband, practices that anchor her amid life’s demands. “How you start your day sets the tone for everything,” she says. “Looking for opportunities to be kind, to give someone a smile or kind word—it’s like exercising your muscles. The more you do it, it becomes an even stronger part of who you are.”

Growing up in Snowball, Arkansas, population about 45, Yancey learned firsthand about community and service. Her “Granny,” a widow Yancey’s entire life, gardened and maintained a canned goods cellar, welcoming neighbors to take anything they needed—as long as they returned the jars. Yancey once asked why she worked so hard just to give it away. Her grandmother’s response stayed with her: “The good Lord promised me if I always shared what I had, I’d always have plenty. And He ain’t ever let me down yet.”