Michael B. Yanney

The youngest of nine children, Michael Yanney was born in Kearny, Nebraska, in 1933. His father, who was of Lebanese descent, was born in a sod house in Nebraska. His mother had emigrated from Lebanon as a child. "My parents had a loving marriage, even though it was arranged by their parents," says Yanney. "We were a close family. I fondly remember the times my father and I went fishing. We loved to be outdoors together."

Yanney's mother had only an eighth-grade education, but she was highly intelligent and principled. "My mother was a strong woman," he says. "She was committed to church and the basic fundamentals of life. She taught me the importance of integrity and credibility, but she was also warm, loving, and generous. We lived in a large, supportive ethnic community, and she always made me feel safe and secure."

Yanney's father worked as an accountant for the Union Pacific Railroad. Later, he became a tax collector for their region, which often took him away from home. When Yanney was 11, his father suffered a series of strokes and died. With no savings or insurance, the Yanney family suffered immediately. Yanney and his siblings went to work so their mother could stay home and take care of them.

In grade school, Yanney shined shoes and sold vegetables from his mother's garden. "I started driving when I was 12," he says. "It was my responsibility to get our vegetables to market, so I put them in the back of the truck and took off. I ran into a tree on my first day but finally got the hang of it."

From the beginning, Yanney loved school. His mother made education a priority, and she wanted him to go to college. A committed student, Yanney was active in sports and social clubs. In high school, he served as president of the student body and National Honor Society. He was elected Nebraska's top teen leader and became lieutenant governor of Boys State; he also competed in Boys Nation in Washington, D.C.

Yanney played football and was captain of the track team. He had to organize his time carefully because he also held several jobs throughout high school. He worked part time at a bank and was also a part-time grease monkey. During the corn harvest, he detassled corn for 50 cents an hour. He even caught minnows and sold them to a bait shop.

"I thought a lot about my future," says Yanney. "I was committed to my education and wanted to go to college. My mother was clear about that soon after my father died. She sat me down and told me not to worry because someday I would go to college. She always told me no one could ever take education away from me. I spent a lot of time with her and my family. I loved being with them. My older brother was 12 years my senior, and he took over the father role for me. He served during World War II and was caught twice by the Germans. When he came home, he wasn't quite the same, but he was a good person and a wonderful, positive role model for me."

Yanney attended Kearney State Teachers College (later the University of Nebraska) so that he could save money by continuing to live at home. As a freshman, he rode a bicycle to school. He was in a rush to finish so that he could earn more money, and he graduated in three years. During that time, he worked as a bank clerk and as a radio announcer. "I was a terrible DJ, but it paid $1 an hour, and while the music played, I could study," he says. "I also worked as a ticket-taker at the drive-in theater." Even though he usually held two jobs and was taking extra classes, Yanney was president of his fraternity and served on the student council, and still managed to stay on the honor roll.

After graduating in 1955 with a degree in business, Yanney joined the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Although his entire unit was sent to Korea, Yanney was sent to Heidelberg, Germany. "I don't know how I got so lucky," he says. "It was an awesome experience to see the rebuilding efforts in Germany and to travel throughout Europe. It gave me a more global aspect of the world and deeply influenced my life."

While in Germany, Yanney took correspondence courses through the American Institute of Banking. He then picked out a bank he wanted to work for in Denver and wrote to the chairman asking for an interview upon his discharge. Impressed with his confidence and ambition, the chairman hired Yanney and developed him for bank leadership.

About that time, Yanney met his future wife, Gail. After three dates, they were engaged and were married within five months. Gail was attending medical school in Omaha, so Yanney went to work for the National Bank of Omaha in 1960. In 1977, he left Omaha National and began his own bank. Three banks later, in 1984, he founded America First Companies, which has become one of the Midwest's largest private investment banking firms. America First Companies later became Burlington Capital Group LLC.

"I don't think success is in what you collect. It's in what you give, especially when you give of yourself," Yanney says, reflecting on his rise to the top. "In my family, we never had much, but my mother always encouraged us to share with others. She taught me to do the best with what talents God gave me to help make my community better. That's become a significant part of my life. I admire the work the Horatio Alger Association is doing to help at-risk youth. Through mentorship, you can completely change a child's life for the better, and I can't think of anything that benefits a community, and the nation, more than that."