A bank with more than 30 locations across the southeast, including Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, has announced Mitch Watkins as Senior Commercial Banking Manager and Senior Vice President at their Columbus, GA branch located on 1581 Bradley Park Drive. He has more than three decades of banking and community leadership experience.
Watkins, born and raised in Columbus, GA, is a graduate of Columbus State University. He began his banking career in 1988 as a Management Associate with Columbus Bank and Trust, which later became Synovus. During his banking career, he held roles of increasing responsibility, including Branch Manager, Commercial Banking Manager, Credit Analyst, and Community Bank Executive. After retiring from Synovus in 2021, Watkins most recently served as Executive Director of Foundation Properties, Inc. at Columbus State University.
D Copeland, President of Colony Bank, said, “Mitch and I had the privilege of working together for many years, and I’ve seen firsthand the leadership, customer focus, and community commitment that he brings. He is widely respected in Columbus, and we are excited to have him on our team to continue building strong relationships and serving our commercial customers with excellence.”
In addition to his professional achievements, Watkins has been deeply involved in civic and community organizations. He has served in leadership positions with Green Island Country Club, Neighborworks, Young Life, Uptown Columbus, the Public Safety Advisory Commission of Columbus, United Way, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and Valley Rescue Mission.
Colony Bank began in 1975 in Fitzgerald, Georgia, when a local farmer found himself unable to secure the funding he needed to grow his business. Turned away by the banks in town, he decided to take action. Over the next few months, he rallied other local business owners and community leaders into founding the bank where the corporate headquarters remain 50 years later.
