Whitney Hamilton Jr., Customer Service Representative, was honored as a finalist for the Indy’s Best and Brightest Awards from Junior Achievement (JA) of Central Indiana at the annual Best and Brightest Event on November 9, 2016.

“We are very gratified that Whitney has received this recognition from Junior Achievement,” said Kevin L. Deardorff, Executive Vice President, Retail Banking. “He has been an asset to the bank as we have expanded in the Indianapolis market and is passionate about developing himself as a banker and a young professional.”

The Best and Brightest event was created by Junior Achievement to recognize up and coming talent and the next generation of leaders in the community. Finalists in each category are judged on professional accomplishments, civic contributions, character and leadership qualities.

Hamilton is a Customer Service Representative at Lake City Bank’s Indianapolis Michigan Road office. He started his career in financial services in 2014 and joined the bank in 2015. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in marketing from Indiana State University. He is a member of the OneZone Chamber and Zionsville Chamber and is the Secretary/Treasurer for a local Business Networking International chapter. He volunteers with JA Biztown, Young Life, Lighthouse Mission Homeless Shelter and Wheeler Mission Homeless Shelter.

“Being a finalist for Indy’s Best and Brightest was an honor,” said Hamilton. “Standing on stage with top executives and individuals who are successful business owners was one of the most humbling experiences I have had. I am grateful that I was nominated by an individual who saw the potential in me, watched me grow and pushed me to be great!”

Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, Inc. (JACI), in partnership with the business and education communities, empowers young people to own their future success. JA educates and inspires young people in the areas of career exploration, work readiness, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and philanthropy through hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for children in preschool through high school.

Lake City Bank, a $4.2 billion bank headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, is the fifth largest bank headquartered in the state, and the largest bank 100% invested in Indiana. Lake City Bank operates 48 branch offices in northern and central Indiana, delivering technology-driven solutions in a client-centric way to individuals and businesses. The bank is the single bank subsidiary of Lakeland Financial Corporation (Nasdaq Global Select/LKFN).