Southeastern Bank Creates Scholarship at College in Memory of Ed Gray

Southeastern Bank has created the Edward R. Gray, Jr. Memorial Scholarship at the College of Coastal Georgia in honor of Gray’s work and strong support of education.

The Edward R. Gray, Jr. Memorial Scholarship will benefit students in their junior or senior year at the College who are majoring in accounting or general business with a concentration in finance and who’ve graduated from a high school in the eight-county area served by Southeastern Bank.

Gray served as chairman and CEO of Southeastern Bank (formerly The Darien Bank) from 1959 to his passing in 1997 at the age of 70. He was a native of Glynn County and lived in Glynn and McIntosh counties most of his life. Gray understood the importance an educated workforce means to community development, enhanced employment opportunities, and a better quality of life. Gray was a graduate of the University of Georgia, a certified public accountant, a board member of the Ashantilly Center, and a trustee of the Sapelo Island Research Foundation. He also served as a trustee and finance committee member of the Brunswick College Foundation, Inc., now known as the College of Coastal Georgia Foundation.

“We are excited about this new partnership with the College of Coastal Georgia. Quite a few of our employees are alumni or former students of Coastal Georgia,” said Southeastern Bank President and CEO Jay Torbert. “Mr. Gray’s leadership and vision shaped the Bank as we know it today. We are standing on the foundation he helped lay for nearly 40 years, and we are proud to honor his legacy in this manner.”

College of Coastal Georgia President Dr. Michelle Johnston was grateful to Southeastern Bank for choosing to honor Gray through a scholarship.

“Ed Gray was truly an advocate for education and gave of his time to help guide the growth of the institution through his work on the foundation,” Johnston said. “This scholarship will honor his work and carry on his mission to see an educated workforce that gives back to the community.”

Southeastern Bank will also offer internship opportunities for accounting and business majors at the College to help students prepare for future careers in business or finance.

For more information, contact Tiffany King at tking@ccga.edu.