Ready to SERVE 

Emily Yancey is inducted as 2025 Secretary of the ARA Executive Committee.  

Caryn Smith

Emily Yancey is no stranger to the inner workings of the Automotive Recyclers Association. She has attended the Association’s events since she was young, and not just for fun. She has made it a priority to learn as much about the business as possible in a short amount of time.  

Emily has served on the ARA Board of Directors for the past three years, and is chairperson of the active Interchange Committee – a group that works to advance the number of parts available for sale by professional auto recyclers. Since 2022, they have been working diligently each month to identify ways of enhancing the capacity of all ARA members to sell more Recycled Original Equipment® (ROE®) parts that currently have no interchange or adequate description to allow integration into quotes and/or listings.  

She is an integral part of the team at Yancey Auto Salvage, working alongside her father Dean Yancey, and Uncle Jason Yancey. The facility earned the 2023 Certified Auto Recycler of the Year Award, and is Gold Seal certified, as well. 

Yancey Auto Parts, with two locations in Perry and Columbia, MO, was founded in 1981 by Emily’s grandparents Bill (who passed in 2009) and Frances Yancey, her dad and her uncle. Yancey Auto encompasses 30 acres, processes about 1,100 vehicles a year, and has 45 employees. Emily works alongside other family, including her grandmother, and cousins Liz and Tori Yancey, the daughters of Jason. 

At the ARA 82nd Annual Convention and Expo, in Birmingham, AL, Emily was officially announced as the 2025 Executive Committee Secretary. She is a unique candidate, in that she spans many demographics: She is a seasoned professional, one of the youngest to participate as a member of the EC, a confident woman auto recycler, a hands-on third-generation automotive recycler, and on a mission to achieve business ownership. Her maturity is beyond her years.  

Automotive Recycling magazine visited with Emily at the Convention to discuss her thoughts on the five-year journey on which she is embarking. 

Automotive Recycling: Tell us about your entrance into the family auto recycling business. 

Emily Yancey: There wasn’t really an entrance, I have been there my entire life. As a young girl, I would attend the auctions with my father, even though they told me I wasn’t allowed. Growing up, I was heavily involved with the equine world, traveling to horse shows and working with horses. Being home-schooled, I was able to devote the time needed to the horse arena. At the same time, it has pretty much always been about working in automotive recycling.  

During high school, I worked partial days and during the summer at Yancey’s. I have done every job at the yard, other than dismantling the car. Currently, I am in sales and buying, but will likely transition more into buying and eBay, and less of sales, to allow more time for my ARA commitment and goals.  

In the future, the long-term goal is to succeed my Dad and Uncle as an owner/operator of the company with my two cousins. It will be an all-women-owned business at that point. 

ARM: What drew you in rather than go to college or try another career? 

Yancey: With it being a family-run business, I don’t want to say it was all that I ever known, but I fell in love with that aspect of the business. I love the industry and I love the people; it feels like a big family, including the vendors. Throughout our state and on Team PRP, we all compete, but it’s such an open business that we are open to help each other. So, I love the family aspect of it. And I am good at this. 

ARM: What makes this the right time to join the EC? 

Yancey: This has been a goal of mine for a long time. I’ve put a lot of time and effort into my ARA committee work, and I have been on the Board for a significant amount of time. I have learned from many mentors, from my family and other recyclers, and I would even say at the vendor level. I feel that I am ready, and it is a good time in my career.  

I admire my dad’s work ethic, which has had a big influence on me. He’s always put me in positions to grow, learn, and further my training. He included me in owners’ groups, the Missouri state and ARA national conventions, and of course, the auction sales when I was just a little pest. 

I look forward to meeting many new people, the growth opportunities this affords, and that is exciting. I am ready and equipped to help lead the industry to where it needs to go. 

ARM: Share more about the Interchange Committee.   

Yancey: I currently chair the Interchange Committee, I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot of good things for our industry the past few years. Jessica Andrews helps me with this committee she’s fantastic and I couldn’t do it without her.  

The committee has introduced new part numbers that now have interchange wrote for them. We’ve reviewed and edited the recycled parts guide, established a eBay fitment email and started the peer to peer interchange program. We’ve also recently started to get interchange wrote on medium duty truck parts. 

ARM: So, let’s discuss the elephant in the room, you’re a woman and only the fifth one in ARA history to be on the presidential track. You are also young. There are big shoes to fill from the women auto recyclers who went before you – Ginny Whelan, Linda Pitman, Sandy Blalock, and Shan Lathem. What are your thoughts on that? 

Yancey:  I do have big shoes to fill; there are four great mentors ahead of me that I know I can call at any time, get advice, and lean on them, for sure. Earlier in my industry career, I might have been intimidated by this opportunity.  

I remember attending to the auctions with my dad as a kid that was too young to be there, and yet I was there anyway, and I was the only girl. That was scary in the beginning and then it started to be more of a ‘I know I can and I’m going to’ approach. Now, I feel I have accomplished a lot in my time in the business to be on more of an equal footing with my peers. 

Also, the ARA also has a great LARA group (Ladies of the Automotive Recyclers Association). When it first started there weren’t many women attending. Today, we always have a packed house, and need bigger meeting rooms to fit all of us. I feel a sense of pride to lead the Association for that dynamic group.  

Overall, I look forward to leading the industry, being the fifth woman to be president, filling those footsteps that I know are big, big, big shoes to fill. I am confident that as a team, the EC can accomplish our goals, along with the ARA staff.  

ARM: You are also among an influx of next-generation operator/owners coming into the industry. What support do they need from your perspective? 

Yancey: I think they need not be intimidated or afraid to ask the questions. No question is dumb. Get to industry events; start at your state level but don’t be afraid to go to the larger national events. Volunteer for a committee to meet your colleagues and the vendors that serve the industry. Go visit other facilities, just get out there and get active. From my experience, you’re going to be accepted. 

ARM: What do you think of the new technology available and that is coming to the industry? 

Yancey: There are many new products and a lot of AI talk. That’s the future of, not only this business, but a lot of other businesses. In fact, we can learn a lot from other industries, and I think that it’s good to branch out, attend other industry conferences, learn from them and bring it back to our businesses. We are entering a highly technological era, so we all need to sharpen our skills. I plan to be more ahead of the curve to embrace it.