Heath Fountain

heath.fountain@colonybank.com
Albany Westover CID Chairman – CEO of Colony Bank

Heath Fountain is Chief Executive Officer and a director of Colony Bankcorp, which trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “CBAN” and its subsidiary, Colony Bank, Georgia’s largest community bank with $3.8 billion in assets and approximately 500 team members. Since joining Colony in July of 2018, Heath has been instrumental in leading the company’s expansion efforts through organic growth and acquisition.

Heath believes in giving back to the banking industry and the community, serving on numerous banking industry boards and committees, as well as serving on the board of numerous community and regional organizations.

A native of Albany, Georgia, Heath graduated from Deerfield-Windsor School and the University of Georgia and is a Certified Public Accountant. He and his wife Stephanie reside in their hometown where they raise their children, Whatley and Nobie.

Milan Patel

mpatel@indusainvestments.com
Albany Westover CID Vice Chairman - Founding Principal of Indusa Investments

Milan Patel is a community developer with more than 20 years of experience. His background spans multiple areas of business, with a recent focus on real estate development and revitalization. In 2010, he and his partner, Umang, recognized an opportunity in Albany and began steadily acquiring parcels within the Northwest Albany corridor.

Patel prides himself on being a social capitalist and believes that rising tides lift all boats. Raised in a working-class family, he watched his parents work various jobs, including washing dishes, waiting tables and cleaning hotel rooms. He credits that upbringing for his strong work ethic and deep compassion for others.

A native of Newnan, Georgia, Patel relocated to Albany in 2010. His wife, Ami, is an educator, and together they have two young sons who keep him quite busy.

Brad Halford

bhallford@liveoakpropertiesga.com
Albany Westover CID Treasurer - Owner of Live Oak Financial, Inc.  

Brad Halford is a business owner and operations executive with a diverse background spanning financial services, real estate management, health care operations and federal law enforcement. He is the president and owner of Live Oak Financial Inc. and Live Oak Real Estate Management LLC, where he provides strategic leadership and oversight for financial and real estate operations in the Albany and Athens areas.

Prior to launching his businesses, Halford served as vice president of operations at Phoebe Putney Health System for nearly 12 years, overseeing complex operational initiatives within one of Southwest Georgia’s largest health care organizations. Earlier in his career, he spent more than nine years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including service as a supervisory special agent in Washington, D.C., and as a special agent in New Orleans.

Halford holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and is a certified public accountant in the state of Georgia. Known for his disciplined leadership and operational expertise, he brings a results-driven approach to every organization he leads.

Brian Church

bchurch@phoebehealth.com
Albany Westover CID Board Member – Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer – Phoebe Putney Health System

Brian Church is the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer for Phoebe Putney Health System. He joined Phoebe in 2014 after 12 years at a large not-for-profit healthcare system in southwest Florida. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
In his current role Brian serves on various statewide healthcare related boards and committees. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University and earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Brian serves as a board member for the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission, Deerfield-Windsor School Board, Partners Cooperative, Inc. Board and Distribution Cooperative, Inc. Board. He and his wife, Brandy, have one daughter, and are members of St. Teresa’s Catholic Church.

John Reese

jreese@lraconstructors.com
Albany Westover CID Board Member – LRA Contractors – Secretary Treasurer

A native of Albany, Mr. Reese graduated from Westover High School before attending Georgia Tech. He was previously co-owner of LRA Constructors, Inc., a general contracting firm based in Albany, where he worked from 1982 until his retirement in 2023. Currently, he serves as a managing partner of Blackshear & Reese, Reese & Webb Properties and Reese Property Management.

Chad Warbington

chadwarbington@shuttersplus.com
Albany Westover CID Secretary – Owner of Shutters Plus, Inc. - Albany City Commissioner Ward 4

Chad Warbington was born and raised in Lawrenceville, Ga. He attended Georgia Tech and received a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering in 1995. After graduating from college, Chad moved to Albany to start his engineering career at Procter and Gamble. After moving to Albany, Chad married Suzanna, a native Albanian, and they now have three children.

After working in the corporate world with Procter and Gamble for 10 years, Chad decided to be an entrepreneur and start his own business in 2005. He now owns and operates two small businesses in Albany. The first business is Shutters Plus, Inc., a manufacturer of shutters and cabinets. Shutters Plus sells and installs its products in the southwest Georgia region, as well as parts of north Florida and southern Alabama. Chad’s other business is Warbington Enterprises, Inc., a real estate investment company. Chad is a licensed Commercial and Residential Contractor and owns numerous investment properties in Albany. Chad has successfully developed many real estate projects and new house construction projects in the Albany area.

Chad and his family are members of Sherwood Church, where they serve as small group leaders in the Children and Youth Ministries. Chad also serves on several non-profit boards in the community.

Michael Leithead

michael@leitheadconsulting.com
Albany Westover CID Executive Director – Founder – Leithead Consulting, LLC

Michael Leithead began his career in the Community Development department of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). In this role, he created a handbook that the ARC could provide to Municipalities as a guide for forming a CID. Through this project he gained the knowledge necessary to begin a career in the expansion of CIDs, starting with the North Fulton Community Improvement District.

During his five-year tenure at the North Fulton CID, he was successful in the approval of two NFCID expansions with a third in process. Together, these expansions totaled more than $475,000 of additional Annual CID revenue. This additional revenue comprised a 20% rise in total revenue and a 60% increase in its geographical boundary. (See maps below.)

In August of 2018 he founded Leithead Consulting and now offers expansion services to CIDs all over the Atlanta region, including the Gateway Marietta CID, Sugarloaf CID, Lilburn CID, Chamblee Doraville CID, Town Center CID and North Fulton CID, Aerotropolis CID, and Little Five Points CID,

Tad Leithead

tad@leitheadconsulting.com
Albany Westover CID Board Member – Principal - Leithead Consulting, LLC

Tad Leithead has more than 60 years of combined experience serving on the Boards of three major Atlanta Community Improvement Districts (CID), Cumberland, North Fulton and Perimeter CIDs. 

From 1998 until 2002, Tad was the principal of Urban One Associates, a firm devoted to the creation and expansion of CIDs. Former clients included Midtown CID, North Fulton CID and Perimeter CID, all of which were formed successfully, have subsequently expanded and remain in operation today.

In his role as principal partner at Leithead Consulting, Tad specializes in providing executive director and administrative services to smaller and/or newly formed CIDs on a contract basis. Each CID client enjoys the benefit of an experienced executive at an affordable contract price.

It is essential for an executive director of a newly formed CID to have relationships with elected officials and key transportation officials. Tad has formed the most vital connections necessary to do the job effectively with his prior roles as chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and director of Government Affairs for a multi-billion dollar real estate company combined with a 35-year history of working with leaders of the transportation community. Tad’s experience, network and relationships make him an asset to any CID looking for assistance or expansion.