News

BATESVILLE – January 20, 2015 – Longtime Batesville banker Renee Long has returned to Citizens Bank as Senior Vice President of Consumer Lending, according to Phil Baldwin, Bank President and Chief Executive Officer. 

Ms. Long began her career in banking more than 36 years ago at Citizens Bank and has been a consumer lending officer for more than 20 years.  In her new position, she has assumed the supervisory responsibilities for Citizens Bank’s consumer lending services.  

BATESVILLE – January 19, 2015 – Benny Goings, who works in Environmental Services at the Sulphur Rock Magnet Campus, was named Monday as the January 2015 recipient of the “Citizens Bank Above & Beyond Award” for the Batesville School District. 

BATESVILLE – December 22, 2014  –  Representatives of the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches recently visited with employees at Citizens Bank’s Main Branch to accept a $500 contribution from the bank employees’ “Blue Jeans Fund.”  The ranches are supported by the Arkansas Sheriffs Association.

BATESVILLE – December 16, 2014 – Citizens Bank completed and signed a $4 million bond agreement on Monday with the City of Batesville Facilities Board to finance the construction of Woodcrest, a new assisted living center to be located on Neeley Street in Batesville. 

Groundbreaking is scheduled for January 2015 and the anticipated opening for Woodcrest is expected to occur following a 12 to 15-month construction schedule.

BATESVILLE – December 15, 2014 – Keith Shireman, athletic trainer for the Batesville Junior and Senior high schools, was named Monday as the December 2014 recipient of the “Citizens Bank Above & Beyond Award” for the Batesville School District. 

Shireman provided immediate assistance and administered CPR to Pioneer football player Max Rucker, who collapsed from a heart condition at practice on Nov. 19.  Shireman cared for Rucker until ambulance attendants arrived and took him to the hospital.  He has since recovered.

BATESVILLE – December 11, 2014 – Janet Moore, who has more than 30 years of Arkansas banking experience, has joined Citizens Bank as Senior Vice President of Operations.

Ms. Moore most recently served as Executive Vice President of Treasury Management with IBERIABANK in Little Rock.  She has extensive experience in bank operations, mergers and acquisitions, electronic banking and Treasury products and services. 

BATESVILLE – December 4, 2014 – Micah Beard has been promoted to the position of manager of Citizens Bank’s Batesville Loan Department, according to Phil Baldwin, Bank President and Chief Executive Officer.  

While continuing in his role as Senior Vice President and Senior Commercial Loan Officer, Beard has assumed the additional duties of supervising all loan officers based in Batesville, with additional responsibilities for directing the lending functions at the Citizens Bank branch locations in Mountain View, Imboden and Pleasant Plains.  

BATESVILLE – November 25, 2014 – Angela Wilcoxon has been promoted to the recently created position of Senior Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management for Citizens Bank, according to Phil Baldwin, Bank President and Chief Executive Officer.  In this position, Ms. Wilcoxon is responsible for Loan Review, Internal Audit, Compliance, Special Assets, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Regulatory Functions.

BATESVILLE – November 24, 2014 – Santa Claus will arrive at the Citizens Bank Main Branch on Tuesday, December 9, to help the bank and its employees celebrate its annual Christmas Open House. 

Santa will meet with area children and have photos taken from 2:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Main Branch at 200 South Third Street in downtown Batesville.  Cookies, punch and other holiday treats will also be available.

Other Citizens Bank branch Christmas Open Houses have also been scheduled, including:

BATESVILLE – November 18, 2014 – Nina Brokaw, who is responsible for Credit Recovery, Remediation and the Yearbook at Batesville High School, was named Monday evening as the November 2014 recipient of the “Citizens Bank Above & Beyond Award” for the Batesville School District.

BATESVILLE – October 21, 2014 – Citizens Bank and the Batesville School District have launched the third year of a program to recognize staff members who go “above and beyond” in their service to the district.  Paula Williams, Special Services/Homeless Provider at the Early Learning & Enrichment Center, has been named as the September 2014 recipient and Diann Fry, Art Teacher at West Magnet, has been named as the October 2014 recipient of the “Citizens Bank Above & Beyond Award.” 

BATESVILLE, Ark. – October 20, 2014 – Pam Jones, a longtime banking executive in Arkansas and Mississippi, has joined the staff of Citizens Bank in the newly created role of Senior Vice President of Loan Operations.

Ms. Jones assumed responsibility for Citizens Bank’s Note Department, Loan Processing and Credit Administration areas and will combine these departments to create a state-of-the-art loan processing center.

BATESVILLE, Ark. – October 6, 2014 – Citizens Bank today announced the initial step of its expansion into Northwest Arkansas with the opening of a Loan Production Office in Fayetteville.

Doug Lynch, a veteran banker in Northwest Arkansas, will lead this effort as Citizens Bank’s Northwest Arkansas Market President.  Lynch has served as Citizens Bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer since 2012.

NEWARK  –  September 15, 2014  –  A new high school football rivalry begins on Friday, Sept. 19, between the Cedar Ridge Timberwolves and the Midland Mustangs, whose program is in its first year at the high school level.  Citizens Bank is feeding the rivalry by naming the game as the “Citizens Bank White River Rumble,” and providing a traveling trophy that will be presented to the winning team.

BATESVILLE, Ark. – August 26, 2014 – Six creative curriculum projects conceived by Batesville educators will be implemented through $15,000 in grants provided by the Fourth Annual Citizens Bank Education Initiative for the Batesville School District. 

Citizens Bank sincerely thanks Mark Skelton and his team from FNBC, Stoney Fortenberry and his large crew from Merchants & Planters Bank and Lee DeBerry and his employees at Southern Bank for stepping up and helping raise nearly $3,000 in the "Batesville Bankers Ice Bucket Challenge" on Friday, August 22. 

The cash donations and pledges will benefit the ALS Association and "ALS In Wonderland" in Little Rock.

About 100 Batesville bank employees, family members and others "chilled out" while taking or witnessing the challenge.

Citizens Bank challenges all Batesville banks to the ALS "Ice Bucket" Challenge at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, in the Walmart parking lot in Batesville (near where the Bloodmobile parks)!

We will donate $1,000 to ALS as our Senior Executives and other employees will take the challenge!

We call out our banking colleagues to show up and join us! We invite everyone to come by and enjoy the event. #icebucketchallenge(link is external)

BATESVILLE, Ark. – August 14, 2014 – About 100 teachers, administrators, school board members and local business leaders attended Citizens Bank’s Second Annual New Educators Breakfast which was held Thursday morning in the Edwards Commons Building on the campus of Lyon College. 

 “You made the right decision to be a teacher; you’re making a difference,” said Bob Watson, the featured speaker.  Watson was an educator for more than 40 years who served as superintendent of the El Dorado School District for nearly 30 years until his retirement in June. 

BATESVILLE, Ark. – August 12, 2014 – Five projects conceived by Southside educators will share in $5,000 in grant monies provided by the 2014-2015 Citizens Bank Education Initiative for the Southside School District. 

“The Education Initiative demonstrates Citizens Bank’s commitment to educators,” said Bank President Phil Baldwin.  “We designed this program to provide the funds needed to give innovative curriculum concepts a chance to succeed in the classroom.” 

BATESVILLE – August 5, 2014 – The Nettleton Raiders and Wynne Yellowjackets topped the field as the 2014 high school golf season kicked off Tuesday with the Citizens Bank Pioneer Invitational High School Golf Tournament.  Other competing schools were Batesville, Forrest City, Greene County Tech, Heber Springs, Paragould and Southside.

BATESVILLE – August 4, 2014 – United Way of Independence County on Wednesday will conclude its “Stuff the Bus” and “Best Foot Forward” collection of school supplies and new athletic shoes for needy children in Independence County and Cave City.

School buses accepting donations were located on Saturday at the Walmart in Batesville, the Stanley Wood Dealership in Southside and the Walmart in Ash Flat.  The items will be sorted later this week before they are delivered to the school districts which will distribute them to area families and children. 

BATESVILLE – August 4, 2014 – Deanna Green, Executive Director of Director of the United Way of Independence County, recently met with employees of Citizens Bank as her organization became the latest recipient of a $500 contribution from the bank employees’ “Blue Jeans Fund.” 

BATESVILLE – July 30, 2014 – Citizens Bank of Batesville today announced the recipients of two college scholarships as part of the bank’s continuing commitment to higher education.

Austin Canard, a graduate of Batesville High School, and Rachel Woods, who graduated from Cave City High School, each received $500 T.G. Vinson Scholarships, which are awarded to the children of Citizens Bank employees and are named in honor of former Citizens Bank President T.G. Vinson.

BATESVILLE – July 29, 2014 – The 2014 high school golf season will get a jump-start Tuesday, Aug. 5, with the Citizens Bank Pioneer Invitational High School Golf Tournament to be held at The Course at Eagle Mountain.  Competing golfers will represent teams from Batesville, Forrest City, Greene County Tech, Heber Springs, Nettleton, Paragould, Southside and Wynne. 

The tournament will be the first opportunity for new Batesville Golf Coach Chad Larose to see his team in competition.

MOUNTAIN VIEW – July 23, 2014 – La'Nelle Wilmeth (right) of Fox takes the keys in hand as she accepts her prize of an Intimidator UTV from Curt Decker, Senior Teller at Citizens Bank's Mountain View Branch.

The vehicle was won by Mrs. Wilmeth in Citizens Bank’s “Celebrate America” drawings on the Fourth of July.