If you ask Ben Polen how long he’s been in community banking, he might pause for a moment, smile and then tell you he’s lost track of the exact number of years. What he won’t hesitate to tell you is why he’s stayed.

For Ben, banking has never been about numbers alone. It’s about the people. It’s about the relationships built over decades, watching customers grow from their first small loan into thriving businesses, and seeing employees develop into confident leaders. It’s about showing up, day after day, in a community that feels like home.

A Childhood on the Move

Ben was born in Topeka, Kansas, but he didn’t stay put for long. His father was a Methodist minister, which meant the family moved about every five years to serve different congregations across eastern Kansas. 

At the time, moving wasn’t always easy. Leaving friends behind rarely is. But looking back, Ben sees it as a gift. Each move meant meeting new people, learning how to adapt and discovering that relationships don’t have to end just because geography changes. “It felt like a fresh start sometimes,” he recalls. “I ended up with more friends, not fewer.”

Ben grew up in Ottawa, Overland Park and eventually Baxter Springs, where he graduated from high school. 

A Love Story and a Leap of Faith

Ben met his wife, Leann, while they were both in college. “Our story sounds like something out of a movie,” Ben said. They met in February, and just a few months later, on Aug. 1, 1987, they were married.

What followed was 35 years of marriage filled with family, shared dreams and a true partnership. Ben fondly speaks of Leann with deep gratitude and love, acknowledging both the joy of what they had and the heartbreak of losing her to cancer two years ago. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about her,” he said. “But I was incredibly blessed. A lot of people don’t get what we had at all, let alone for 35 years.”

Together, they built a life rooted in commitment, resilience and faith — values that continue to guide Ben today.

Discovering Community Banking

After college, with a baby on the way and a job opportunity in front of them, Ben and Leann moved to Hale, Missouri, a town of about 500 people. “The streets weren’t even paved, and at first, it felt very small,” Ben said. 

But that little town became home for 17 years — and it is where Ben truly fell in love with community banking. The job itself came through a connection with Larry Freeman, then president of Carroll County Trust Company, and a long-time family friend who would eventually become Ben’s mentor. Before ever stepping into banking full-time, Ben sought Larry out to learn what the profession really involved. That early guidance turned into a lasting professional relationship built on trust and mutual respect.

Over time, Ben learned that community banking wasn’t just about managing money. It was about being present in people’s lives, financing first homes, first trucks, first businesses and sometimes just offering steady reassurance during uncertain times.

Leadership Built on Trust

In the mid-2000s, Larry called Ben with a life-changing question: “I’m getting ready to retire. Do you want my job?”

Ben said yes — with one condition. The small bank in Hale that he had spent so many years at would need to come with him. Ben worried that tiny banks, standing alone, wouldn’t survive long term. The solution was a merger, and in 2007, Ben moved to Carrollton and joined Carroll County Trust Company.

Larry stayed on for a few years, and his leadership style ensured a seamless transition. “He told me, ‘Go make decisions and practice. If you hang yourself, you hang yourself. I’m here if you need me,’” Ben laughed. That trust shaped Ben’s own leadership philosophy: Empower people, let them grow and support them without micromanaging.

Growing People, Not Just Banks

Ask Ben what he enjoys most about his job, and he won’t mention titles or accomplishments. He’ll talk about his employees. “Watching people grow professionally and personally has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career,” Ben said. 

One of his proudest examples is Tracey Woodward, now president of the bank. She started as a college intern and teller, later joined Ben at the Hale bank, and eventually followed him to Carrollton. “Watching her grow, watching her succeed — that’s been one of the best parts of my job,” Ben said. “I like to think I played a small part in that.”

Ben takes the same pride in watching customers succeed. He remembers a client who started with a modest $2,500 loan and, over the years, built businesses generating over a million dollars in annual revenue. “That first loan can change everything,” Ben said with a smile. To him, those stories are the heart of community banking.

Facing Modern Banking Challenges

While Ben’s heart is firmly rooted in tradition, his eyes are wide open to the future. Today’s banking challenges look very different from those he faced early in his career. Technology, particularly artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, weighs heavily on his mind. His attention to data protection, ransomware threats and how easily one wrong click can create chaos for banks and customers alike is always top of mind. “Money is data now,” he explained. “Our job is safeguarding people’s information.”

“But this is an area where community banks shine. Knowing customers personally, educating them directly, and being available when something goes wrong gives banks like Carroll County Trust Company a meaningful advantage,” Ben said.

Service Through MIBA

Ben has been a member of the Missouri Independent Bankers Association (MIBA) for most of his banking career. In recent years, with strong leadership in place at his bank, he’s been able to become more involved, serving on committees and the board.

He values MIBA’s advocacy, education and scholarship programs, but what stands out most to him are the people. “They’re just good people,” Ben said simply. That sense of shared purpose and community mirrors what he’s spent his entire career building at the local level.

Family at the Center

Family has always been at the core of Ben’s life. He and Leann raised three sons — Dallas, Spencer and Luke — all of whom live within a few miles of him today. After a few years of “empty nest,” Dallas and his daughter, Savannah, now 13, moved in with Ben and Leann, turning a quiet house into a lively home once again. Ben is learning first-hand the joys and challenges of raising a teenage girl — something he never expected after raising three boys.

Add in three more grandchildren — a toddler, a baby, and a newly minted three-year-old — and Ben’s life is full in all the best ways. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” he jokes. “I should’ve skipped parenting and gone straight to being a grandpa.”

A Life Well Lived

Outside of banking, Ben enjoys restoring classic cars, riding his Harley on sunny days, hunting with dogs and getting lost in a good book. Whether it’s history, action novels or self-improvement, reading has always been his escape. You will often find Ben reading on his well-worn Kindle. 

When asked for some parting wisdom, Ben turns to one of his favorite figures, Benjamin Franklin.

“Well done is better than well said,” he quotes.

It’s a fitting reflection of his own life. Ben Polen doesn’t seek attention. He builds quietly, leads steadily and invests deeply — in people, in community and in the belief that relationships still matter. In community banking and in life, that may be the most valuable currency of all.