Yao's determination to pay off for youth
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Lily K. Yao turned 60, celebrated her retirement and raised $135,000 for the Hawai'i State Women's Golf Foundation on Friday. And that was just in the evening.
First Hawaiian Bank's first female Vice Chair — one of the most passionate golfers on the planet — will establish the Lily K. Yao Scholarship Fund with the money raised at her benefit. Scholarships will go to college-bound Hawai'i girls "based on merit, golf aspirations and need."
YAO
Yao and Hawai'i Golf Hall of Famer Bev Kim co-founded the Foundation last year. Yao said Friday their dream was to "advance Hawai'i women's golf to the next level ... the younger generation's potential for the future is limitless." The non-profit foundation provides travel stipends for local and national events, which can cost more than $5,000 for local golfers. It will also offer clinics and workshops along with the scholarship program.
Ultimately, Yao envisions raising an endowment fund of at least $1 million so the HSWGF can fund its goals without touching the principal. She is also seeking a donor to allow free course access "to allow golfers who can't even dream of playing because of financial reasons to play golf."
Her dreams are nearly as large as her accomplishments.
Yao, born in Shanghai, moved to Hawai'i with husband Jimmy in 1968. She advanced from Pioneer Federal teller to President and Chief Executive Officer in the space of 16 years.
She has been on a wide variety of boards, was the first Asian-American chairwoman of the Hawai'i Chamber of Commerce and served on the University of Hawai'i's Board of Regents for eight years.
Pioneer merged with First Hawaiian in 1997 — a few years after Yao had taken up golf. Her "golf odyssey" changed her life, transforming a woman who used to get sick from sitting in too many long business meetings, into someone who thinks nothing of hitting 250 balls on the driving range after playing 36 holes.
The former Taiwan Women's Bowling Champion was "humiliated" when she shot 211 at her first tournament. She was also motivated. She challenged herself to become a single-digit handicapper (she is now a 9). By 1999, she was Hawai'i's senior champion.
She saw golf not only as a physical challenge, but a microcosm of the business world with its emphasis on self-motivation, self-discipline and teamwork. That is why she felt the foundation was critical.
"Learning the basics is not enough to maintain your golf skills," Yao says. "It takes a positive attitude with persistence and determination to be a good golfer. This is no different from a person who works hard to become a successful businessman or corporate leader."
Yao is nothing if not persistent. Her benefit Friday was filled with friends who marveled at the contrasts in her life: The "dragon lady" image tempered by gentleness and loyalty; the nurturing role model with the steely competitive edge; the former Miss China runner-up who travels with 12 suitcases and knew every under-secretary at the Pentagon; the remarkable over-achiever who used her unique talents to pull Pioneer Federal out of a deficit and raise $70,000 in one day to start HSWGF.
"Some people take you by storm," said Sen. Donna Mercado Kim. "Some are like a typhoon. Lily is a hurricane."
Yao will touch down in retirement by spending more time with her husband, and devoting the rest of her hours to golf and her foundation. She even plans to re-activate her real estate license and donate her earnings to HSWGF.
The exploits of Michelle Wie, who calls her "Aunty Lily," have only energized Yao's dreams. Meeting Wie helped "stimulate" Yao's plans to start the foundation, which helped the Wies financially the past two years.
"All I can say now is, our original intuition was more than correct," Yao says. "Look at the perfect timing for HSWGF to take action now to help talented golfers in Hawai'i, which coincides perfectly with Annika Sorenstam's competition at Colonial and Michelle Wie's fame as a 'golf phenom' in our nation and the world. Who could have dreamed two years ago that HSWGF is now in a position to move Hawai'i women's golf to the next level?
"I would not say that all of us predicted that then, but I am just grateful that someone up there has guided the establishment of our foundation so that we can be a major player now that the time is ripe."
For HSWGF information, call 589-2046.
