FITZGERALD, Ga. – Colony Bank has opened nominations for its second Colony Leadership Academy class, an initiative designed to create an environment that nurtures potential young leaders and encourages students to recognize their own potential and develop their leadership skills.

The program, which is available in all of Colony’s markets, is available to high school juniors during the last half of their junior year through the first half of their senior year, according to a press release from the banking company. The curriculum encourages students to become familiar with all aspects of their community and to develop skills enabling them to take an active leadership role in their community. Colony Leadership Academy uses professional leadership trainers through UGA’s Fanning Institute as well as community resources for courses such as Health and Recreation, Economic Development, Arts and Culture, Public Safety, Social Services, Education and Government Affairs.

To be chosen for the program, a student must submit an application and meet qualifications that include a minimum GPA of 3.0 or equivalent. Each student applying for the program must be nominated by a community member, have their application approved by parents and their school’s administrator, and supply two personal references. Nominations can be submitted from Aug. 18 through Sept. 19, after which applications will be sent to students nominated. In November, the names of the 30 successful applicants will be announced. Classes will take place quarterly from February 2022 through graduation in November 2022.  

Upon completion of the program, participants will receive a $1,000 scholarship to the college/university of their choice, Colony Bank said.

Commenting on the announcement, Heath Fountain, president and chief executive officer of Colony Bank, said, “We are very excited about opening nominations for our second year Colony Leadership Academy class. I’ve had the pleasure of watching our first year students gain knowledge and understanding about crucial issues facing their community – while building solid leadership skills that they can use in their college life and their careers. These students have built bonds with their classmates to create lasting connections that span across the state. We believe our program has made a positive impact on our students and our communities and we look forward to sharing that positivity with our upcoming class.”

More details about Colony’s Leadership Academy program and the nomination form can be found on Colony Bank’s website at https://colony.bank/colony-leadership-academy.  Please e-mail any questions to cla@colony.bank.