Siouxland Chamber’s Prestigious Deming Award Presented to Charese Yanney
September 19, 2024
The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce presented its most prestigious recognition, the W. Edwards Deming Business Leadership and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, to Charese Yanney, owner of Guarantee Roofing, Siding, and Insulation on Thursday evening.
With over 1,100 in attendance at the 38th Annual Siouxland Chamber Meeting at the Orpheum Theatre, Yanney, a past chair of the Board of Directors of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, was lauded for her decades of leadership and service in both the public and private sectors. In addition to serving as the sole owner of Guarantee Roofing, Yanney has devoted decades to volunteer leadership roles on the boards of Briar Cliff University, UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s, The Siouxland Initiative, Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, United Way of Siouxland, and the Sioux City Art Center, to name but a few.
Appointed by the governor, in January of 2011, Yanney served as one of seven commissioners with the Iowa Department of Transportation and recently completed her term as the Chair. Charese stepped away from IDOT this past summer, but only after proving instrumental to the completion of such projects as the four-lane surfacing of Highway 20 in western Iowa and the expansion of Interstate 29 through downtown.
Upon accepting the accolade, Yanney stated, “I am both honored and humbled to receive the Deming Award from the very community and organization my family and I have dedicated so many decades to serving, supporting, and promoting. It means the world to me to share in this recognition and to be included among so many distinguished past recipients, including my own father.”
Debi Durham, who serves as the Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Finance Authority, hailed the selection of Charese Yanney explaining that she is most deserving, “for everything she has done and for everything she continues to do to make this place she calls home the very best that it can be.”
Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan echoed Durham’s praise of Yanney, explaining that Charese’s dedication to serving in numerous volunteer leadership roles within both the public and private sectors, as well as her work with countless not-for-profit organizations, solidified her selection as this year’s Deming Award recipient. Explained McGowan, “Few Siouxland community leaders have served as frequently, effectively, and selflessly as Charese Yanney. When we speak of investing time, talent, and treasure, Charese could very easily be the standard by which others are measured. Her generosity, and that of her entire family, to our Siouxland community is unsurpassed.”
The Deming Award is presented annually to an outstanding business executive and exceptional community leader in the tri-state region. Yanney joins a notable list of past recipients who have been recognized for their entrepreneurial success, business leadership, and commitment to Siouxland. This year marks the 33rd time the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce has presented the Deming Award, dating back to 1991.
The W. Edwards Deming Business Leadership & Entrepreneurial Excellence Award is presented in honor of Dr. W. Edwards Deming, a Sioux City native and world-renowned statistician, philosopher, and educator. This award is designed to recognize local business executives who have exhibited outstanding leadership and corporate citizenship, within the Siouxland community, as well as originality, quality, productivity, and performance within the realm of their business.