Missouri State Senate
Biography for Senator Yeckel

Sen. Anita T. Yeckel was elected to the Missouri State Senate in November 1996. She represents the 1st Senatorial district, which encompasses the southern section of St. Louis.

Sen.Yeckel, a Republican, serves as chairman of the Senate Financial and Governmental Organization, Veterans' Affairs and Elections Committee. Other committees she serves on include Appropriations; Education; Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence; the Joint Advisory Committee on Tobacco Securitization; the Commission on Children's Justice; and the Missouri Children's Services Commission. In addition, she serves as the Assistant Majority Floor Leader.

During the 2002 Legislative Session, Sen. Yeckel served as sponsor for election reform legislation that made sweeping changes to Missouri's election laws, including provisional and early voting in Presidential Election years. She has also successfully passed bills toughening Missouri's methamphetamine laws, banking reform, and veterans' issues.

The Senator was educated at the University of Missouri in St. Louis where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. Currently, she is in the MPPA graduate program at UMSL.

Before being elected to the Senate, Sen. Yeckel served three terms on the Lindbergh School District Board of Education. She served as its president, treasurer, secretary (twice) and, most recently, as its vice-president. She also served on the Special School District Governing Council.

Sen. Yeckel worked in the financial institutions industry for 17 years.

She is a member of the Crestwood Kiwanis Club and is co-founder and board member of the South County Art Council. She serves on the advisory board of the "Christmas In April" organization, and is involved with the Family Support Network. She is also active in the Catholic church.

The bulk of Sen. Yeckel's work in the community has been in the area of education serving on several committees and boards. Her committee work includes the Preschool Advisory Committee and the Citizens Advisory Committee for Mehlville School District. She was also a PAL coordinator and volunteer for that district. While with the Lindbergh School District, she helped found and preside over the Spirit Association. She has also served on the St. Catherine Laboure School Board and is a member of the executive board and legislative committee of Cooperating School Districts.

In 2003 the Missouri Association of Veterans Organizations (MAVO) honored Sen. Yeckel for her continued efforts to pass legislation benefiting the veterans of the state. In 2002 Sen. Yeckel received the St. Louis Business Journal Legislative Award. She was the recipient of the 2000 Voice of Missouri Business Award presented by the Associated Industries of Missouri. In 1999, the University of Missouri-St. Louis presented her with the Presidential Citation for Alumni Service Award. Sen. Yeckel received the MCTA School Bell Award in 1979, the Lindbergh Leaders Award in 1989 and was honored by the Phi Alpha Honor Fraternity.

She has been married for 39 years to Robert A. Yeckel. They have two daughters, one granddaughter and one grandson.