Robert (Bob) Colie, from Lake Oconee Elks Lodge No. 2849, is the new president of the Georgia Elks Association for 2021-2022. 

It is an honor to have another president from the Lake Oconee area.  

Bill Lewis, also from Lake Oconee Lodge, was the president from 2020-2021.  The Georgia Elks look forward to Bob and his wife Beth’s leadership during the coming year.  

Colie grew up in northern Minnesota and earned an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Graduating as a second lieutenant in 1976, he entered the U.S. Army as an infantry officer where he served 22 years retiring as a lieutenant colonel. 

Among assignments in Georgia was a tour at Fort Benning, in Columbus, and two tours at Fort McPherson in Atlanta. Upon retiring from the Army Colie worked in Atlanta at BellSouth (which later became AT&T) retiring in 2016. He joined the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks in 2007 with the Lake Oconee Elks Lodge No. 2849. He served in several positions and on numerous committees before becoming the lodge president in 2013 to 2015. Following his presidency he served as chairman of the Lodge Board of Directors for five years. He was voted in as the North East Georgia District Vice President 2015-2016. Following that service he was appointed as the North East Deputy to the Grand Lodge, the National Headquarters of the Elks organization, for the year 2016-2017. In 2020 he was elected to be the Georgia Elks Association(GEA) President-Elect. He was installed as the association’s president in June, 2021 at the GEA State convention at Jekyll Island. He lives at home in the Lake Oconee area of Eatonton with his lovely wife Beth.