--- title: Polley Named 2019 Jefferson Award Winner description: Polley Named 2019 Jefferson Award Winner image: https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hubfs/Jefferson%20Award%20IMG_9956_cropped.jpg --- [![](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hubfs/Engauge/engauge-logo.jpg)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge) [![](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hubfs/Backgrounds/search-mobile.png)](https://www.citizensenergygroup.com/Search) # Polley Named 2019 Jefferson Award Winner By Mandy Saucerman on 4/1/19 9:33 AM ![](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hubfs/Jefferson%20Award%20IMG_9956_cropped.jpg) **David Polley**, Valve and Regulator Mechanic, was named Citizens Energy Group’s 2019 Jefferson Award winner for his volunteerism at Leadership Forum on March 28. He and his family started an organization to help people in need around the world. President and CEO **Jeffrey Harrison** presented Polley with a Jefferson Awards gold medal and a certificate to recognize the work he does to improve others’ lives.  Polley and his wife, Carol, and daughters, Rebekah and Rachel, started Increase Ministries in 2013. The not-for-profit’s mission is to “help children and families around the world grow academically, physically, spiritually, and socially.” Although hearing that he was the 2019 winner of this prestigious award was an overwhelming honor, perhaps the biggest surprise was seeing his oldest daughter Rebekah standing at the back of the room. She left for Lithuania to do missions work in mid-November, and he wasn’t expecting to see her again until August. “When I heard that my dad would be receiving this outstanding award, I could not pass up the opportunity to honor someone who doesn’t look for recognition, but simply wants to empower others,” Rebekah said. “He sacrifices his time and finances to make sure those around him succeed and flourish. There could not be a person more deserving of this prestigious award.” ![Jefferson Award IMG_9957](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Jefferson%20Award%20IMG_9957.jpg?width=500&name=Jefferson%20Award%20IMG_9957.jpg)While Carol, an ordained children’s minister, is the creative force behind Increase Ministries, David is always behind the scenes, doing whatever it takes to make overseas travel possible. He uses nearly all his PTO – which has added up over his 29 years working at Citizens – to travel to faraway places like Cuba, Ghana, India, Kenya, the Philippines, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The Polleys have launched The Red Egg Campaign, a worldwide program that teaches concepts such as self-esteem and forgiveness in schools and orphanages. They often dress as clowns in order to connect with the children. More recently, they have created “ColorDrama” books for teachers in those parts of the world where resources are limited, to use in their classrooms as visual aids for storytelling and as coloring books. “David steps out of his comfort zone on these trips to make an impact on the lives of the children and teachers,” said Carol. “He doesn’t really enjoy dressing up like a clown or teaching, but he does it because it is the right thing to do, looking beyond himself and into a world that needs us.” David, along with Jefferson Award winners from across the country, will be honored at the National Ceremony in Washington, D.C., in June. As a corporate partner of Multiplying Good (the non-profit that organizes the Jefferson Awards program and which was formerly called the Jefferson Awards Foundation), Citizens Energy Group is proud to honor an employee or retiree each year who embodies the spirit of the Jefferson Awards. If you’d like to nominate a coworker, visit [www.bit.ly/JeffAwardsCitizens](http://www.bit.ly/JeffAwardsCitizens). Click below to learn more about David and the work his family is doing around the world! [![Watch Video](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2545024/8e403a63-4292-41c9-9c12-011c3e2715af.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2545024/8e403a63-4292-41c9-9c12-011c3e2715af) ![Jefferson Award IMG_9972](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Jefferson%20Award%20IMG_9972.jpg?width=700&name=Jefferson%20Award%20IMG_9972.jpg)*                 David Polley's family members and friends surprised him at the award presentation.* ### Current Articles ### Recent Issues - [November 2019 (23)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/11) - [November 2018 (21)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2018/11) - [January 2021 (21)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/01) - [October 2021 (21)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/10) - [February 2020 (20)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/02) - [December 2021 (20)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/12) - [October 2018 (19)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2018/10) - [January 2019 (19)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/01) - [June 2020 (19)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/06) - [August 2019 (18)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/08) - [October 2019 (18)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/10) - [April 2020 (18)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/04) - [September 2022 (18)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/09) - [July 2019 (17)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/07) - [July 2020 (17)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/07) - [June 2021 (17)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/06) - [April 2019 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/04) - [January 2020 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/01) - [October 2020 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/10) - [December 2020 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/12) - [April 2021 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/04) - [July 2021 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/07) - [September 2020 (15)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/09) - [March 2021 (15)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/03) - [June 2022 (15)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/06) - [February 2019 (14)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/02) - [May 2019 (14)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/05) - [May 2022 (14)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/05) - [July 2022 (14)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/07) - [October 2023 (13)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2023/10) - [September 2021 (12)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/09) - [March 2023 (12)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2023/03) - [May 2023 (12)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2023/05) - [June 2023 (12)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2023/06) - [February 2022 (11)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/02) - [August 2018 (10)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2018/08) - [August 2023 (10)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2023/08) - [March 2022 (9)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/03) [![PDF Archives](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2545024/33b9e93c-8f43-4101-9b48-7e78154731f5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2545024/33b9e93c-8f43-4101-9b48-7e78154731f5) **Engauge** is published by Citizens Energy Group, Corporate Affairs Department, under the direction of Shannon Stahley, Director of Corporate and Public Affairs. 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