Beccy Yocham
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re spotlighting some of our inspiring WLI members and getting their thoughts on leadership. Read our Q&A with Beccy Yocham, City Manager of Lenexa, below.
Please summarize your current role within ULI and explain why WLI is important to you?
I am the immediate past co-chair of the Kansas City District Council’s WLI Committee.
What is your expertise? What services do you provide? What leads do you look for?
I am the City Manager of the City of Lenexa. I hold a juris doctorate from the University of Kansas and originally joined the City of Lenexa team as a city attorney before transitioning to the role of Director of Community Development. In that role, I was involved in all economic development initiatives and provided overall strategic leadership of the department responsible for the entire built environment of the city, including current and long-range planning, engineering, building codes and inspection, community standards, licensing, and permitting. As City Manager – a position that I have held since 2019 – I serve as the chief administrative officer of the city organization and work closely with the city’s 11 departments to carry out the policy decisions of our governing body and provide essential services to the community.
Please summarize your CRE career, and explain why you decided to work in the built environment.
The City of Lenexa is a progressive and growing community, and playing a role in the development of the community during a time of record growth has been a highlight of my career. Business development and recruitment is a key responsibility of my current and prior roles with the city. My specific role varies depending upon the project, but I am consistently involved in assisting with site identification, facilitating development approvals, and coordinating those approvals with any associated incentive approvals.
Do you consider yourself a female leader? Please explain why.
Yes. I believe that it is incumbent upon each of us to exhibit leadership in a variety of ways – including through our work, our activities, and in our families – and I don’t believe that leadership is reserved for specific positions or titles. Leadership is a state of mind, and I have always tried to lead by example and to encourage those around me to do the same.
Who is a female leader you admire and why?
There are many female leaders that I admire and who have impacted my life in a variety of positive ways, but none more than my own mother. My mom was strong and confident, and she instilled both strength and confidence in me. She taught me that nothing was out of reach if I was willing to work for it and that while I should never apologize for my strength nor my intelligence, I should also remember not to take myself too seriously and to enjoy the journey.
Describe what you do to remain visible in your career.
I’m not sure I ever consciously worked to be “visible” in my career, but I have always believed that certain associations, connections, and opportunities were important to my professional development, and in most cases, that ultimately worked to the benefit of the city as well. Likewise, I’ve never really been a person who signed up for something just to add it to my resume – I tend to get involved and fully participate in the professional associations I’ve been a part of.
Describe a pivotal moment in your career. What makes it stand out?
A pivotal moment in my career was when I agreed to serve as the interim Director of Community Development for the City of Lenexa. As a practicing attorney at the time, it was very much an “outside the box” opportunity that I was given, and one that I was unsure I wanted, but it turned out to be a game-changer for me. In that position, which eventually became a permanent appointment lasting nearly eight years, I was exposed to a much broader set of challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities than I had previously experienced, and I grew immensely as a person and as a leader in that role.
What advice can you give to others on how to identify and maneuver through similar experiences?
Show up! Be intentional in seeking out leadership development opportunities and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. Be willing to consider opportunities that, at first glance, don’t fit into your plan.