Galesburg native Jim Lehman has been named to the Hy-Vee Hall of Fame. Lehman, district store director of the 156th & Maple Hy-Vee in Omaha, Nebraska, was named one of the District Store Directors of the Year at the company’s annual stockholders meeting in December.
Hy-Vee’s Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Sherlock, cited Lehman’s retail background and leadership as key reasons for him being named to the Hy-Vee Hall of Fame.
“You can always count on Jim to find a way to improve his sales, profit and his overall operation,” said Sherlock. “The 156th & Maple Hy-Vee has been a top store for a long time, but Jim has taken it to new heights.
“Jim is a thoughtful leader who works to move the Omaha market and Hy-Vee forward. Jim has always been willing to take on any challenge he was given, and he has done a great job leading his team in 2023.”
Lehman began his career at Hy-Vee in 1985 at the National Boulevard Hy-Vee in Galesburg as a part-time checker and stocker; he also worked as a produce clerk. In 1988, he transferred to the Johnson Avenue Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and began working full time in 1989 as a night stocker. Later that year, Lehman began working as an assistant shift manager and then transferred to Milan, Illinois. He transferred to Muscatine, Iowa, in 1990; to Altoona, Iowa, in 1993; and to the West Lincoln Way Hy-Vee in Ames, Iowa, in 1997. Lehman was promoted to assistant store director later that year, after which he transferred to the North Hy-Vee in Rochester, Minnesota. He received his first store director assignment in 2006 at the Atlantic, Iowa, store. He transferred to the John Deer Road Hy-Vee in Moline in 2008, then Marshall, Minnesota, in 2014, and the Linden Market Hy-Vee in Omaha in 2016. In 2020, Lehman was named district store director of the Fort Street and Linden Market Omaha stores. In 2022, he was named to his current role as district store director of the 156th & Maple Hy-Vee in Omaha.
Lehman graduated from Galesburg High School and attended Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
