Yanneys receive Spirit of Nebraska Award









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Mike and Gail Yanney
Two longtime supporters of UNMC – Gail and Mike Yanney – recently received the Margre and Chuck Durham Spirit of Nebraska Award.

The Yanneys were recognized during Tuesday’s Ambassador of Hope Gala, which is hosted by the Friends of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.

The Spirit of Nebraska Award is named for Omaha philanthropists Margre and Chuck Durham, who were legendary supporters of UNMC and its mission.

“Our $370 million Cancer Center project is moving along quite nicely,” said Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. “This is thanks in large part to all the hard work of the Yanneys. They have been absolutely incredible. I can’t thank them enough for what they have done for us. When you have the Yanney name behind a project, I don’t think you can do much better than that. It is good as gold.”

The Yanneys are co-chairs of UNMC’s $500 million Capital Campaign through the University of Nebraska Foundation.

Mike Yanney is chairman emeritus of the board of The Burlington Capital Group LLC, formerly America First Companies, which has managed public investment funds with assets in excess of $16 billion.

Gail Walling Yanney, M.D., is a former board certified anesthesiologist who retired from practice in 1986. She is a graduate of the UNMC College of Medicine and served as a clinical instructor at the College of Medicine from 1961 to 1992.