Special to The Gazette
ALBANY — Mike Marz, president and CEO, SunTrust Bank, South Georgia, announced that John R. Cole, Ph.D of Tifton has been elected to SunTrust’s Board of Directors.
"We welcome John to the SunTrust Board and look forward to benefiting from the unique and valuable perspective he can bring to our organization," said Marz.
For the past 11 years, Cole has been associated with Webb Properties and Murray Webb & Associates of Albany as a realtor, specializing in farm and commercial properties. He also serves as president of Pretty Pond Plantation and treasurer of Lena B. Jackson Farms, Inc., with emphasis on pecan and timber management.
Dr. Cole earned his BS, MS and PhD degrees from the University of Georgia. He is a professor emeritus in the Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia. He was affiliated with the Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory at Tifton for over 30 years, where he investigated actively infectious diseases of swine, cattle and horses with the objective of improving diagnostic tests and means of treatment and prevention.
He served as president of the American Leptospirosis Research Conference and chaired the Leptospirosis Committee of the US Animal Health Association for several years. He contributed to the book of Dr. G.R. Carter entitled Procedures in Veterinary Diagnostic Bacteriology and Mycology and co-edited with Dr. Carter on the 5th Edition published in 1990.
Dr. Cole was selected as a charter member of the subcommittee on Veterinary Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of the National Committee of Clinical Laboratory Standards because of his expertise in diagnostic bacteriology. He was the 1993 recipient of the Walter Bernhard Hill Award for distinguished achievements in public service for the University of Georgia.
A native of Mitchell County, Dr. Cole has resided in Tifton since 1966. He remains active in numerous local community and professional organizations where he is a member of the Albany and Tifton Board of Realtors, the Tift County Chamber of Commerce and First United Methodist Church. He has served as chairman of the board, SunTrust Bank, Tifton Office. He is a member of the Gridiron Secret Society, University of Georgia and was active in the Kiwanis Club of Tifton for over 40 years serving as Lt. Governor. Dr. Cole and his wife, Judy, have 2 children and 5 grandchildren.
SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation's largest banking organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients. As of Sept. 30, SunTrust had total assets of $172.7 billion and total deposits of $119.3 billion.
The company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states and a full array of technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels. The company also serves clients in selected markets nationally. Its primary businesses include deposit, credit, trust and investment services. Through various subsidiaries the company provides mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage, investment management, equipment leasing and capital markets services. SunTrust’s Internet address is suntrust.com.
