04/22/2025
Adair County SB40 is Proud to announce that Ben Polley of Kirksville has been selected as the April Outstanding Employee Spotlight Award Recipient following his nomination by Dwight Buckingham. Buckingham stated, “Ben Polley, who is autistic, is employed at Hy-Vee, Kirksville, as a customer service clerk. He does an exemplary job carrying out his assigned duties, always with a positive attitude and smile. His friendly interaction with customers is always present as he bags groceries with utmost care. I’ve heard nothing but positive comments from friends about the great job they think Ben is doing at Hy-Vee. Ben is known for his excellence in bagging and has participated in competitive bagging events. He willingly accepts and is eager to work and learn about any department of the store he is assigned to, whether it is bagging groceries, assisting in the deli, or customer appreciation barbeques.”
Adair County SB40 Service Coordinator Andy Magruder exclaimed, "Ben has been employed at Hy-Vee for the 1.5 years. He moved here from Kentucky and has worked in other grocery stores for years. Ben’s an excellent worker and very friendly. Ben is dedicated to his job and helpful to customers and fellow employees. He enjoys the discretionary income and is an avid collector of comic books, toys, figurines, and posters.”
Executive Director of Adair County SB40, Sean Jacob, commented, “Ben is competitively employed at Hy-Vee, which is something we are always striving for and encouraging for people with disabilities in our services in our community. They are often the hardest-working and most reliable of employees, and Ben exemplifies this at his job. He is happy to go to work, is getting to know his fellow employees, and plans to continue to belong there in the years ahead.”
If you would like to nominate a great candidate for a monthly Spotlight Award, Adair County SB40 is accepting nominations. Anyone can make a nomination. Nominations can be made in any of the four following categories:
• Kids Inclusion Spotlight Award for children in kindergarten - 8th grade
• Youth Leadership Spotlight Award for youth in grades 9-12
• Community Volunteer Spotlight Award (any age)
• Entrepreneur or Employee Spotlight Award (any age)
In March 2025, the Spotlight Award of the Year winners will be selected from all of the monthly winners. Nominations can be made throughout the year by visiting the Adair County SB40 website or by contacting a SB40 staff member to assist you at (660) 665 - 9400. You can also find more information about the four nomination categories by visiting Adair County SB40’s website, https://www.sb40life.org.
