News

HOT SPRINGS – April 15, 2015 – Citizens Bank was named recipient of the “Human Resources Best Practice Award” at the 2015 Arkansas SHRM HR Conference & Expo, held April 10 at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

The HR Best Practice Award is awarded each year to a company that demonstrates the importance and positive impact that strong HR practices can have within an organization.  The purpose of the award is to recognize an organization that aligns successful HR programs and practices with the company’s business objectives.

Pam Jones (left) of Citizens Bank sweetens the day for Deanna Richardson (from left), Lisa Wetteland and Susie Slisher of Richardson Accounting on Tuesday to help celebrate the end of the 2014 Tax Season.  Personnel from Citizens Bank fanned out across the Batesville area on Tuesday to deliver cookies and other treats to accounting firms and tax preparation offices, knowing their employees might appreciate a nice snack as the April 15 tax filing deadline approached.

HOT SPRINGS – April 13, 2015 – Longtime Hot Springs resident David Wooldridge leads a team of local banking professionals who have helped open the first Citizens Bank branch near the Hot Springs Mall and are already opening a second branch on Airport Road.

BATESVILLE – March 20, 2015 – Jennifer Wright has been promoted to the position of Retail Manager and Consumer Loan Officer at the Imboden branch of Citizens Bank.

“Jennifer has been a valuable member of our Imboden team for more than nine years and we are pleased to announce this well-deserved promotion,” said Phil Baldwin, Citizens Bank President and Chief Executive Officer.  “We believe Jennifer has the experience and capabilities to help contribute to the continued growth of Citizens Bank, both in Imboden and across the North Central Arkansas region.”

BATESVILLE – March 16, 2015 – Joy Camden, who serves as Treasurer for the Batesville School District, and Patty Mishark, a Sixth Grade Literacy Teacher at Eagle Mountain Magnet, were named Monday as the February and March 2015 recipients of the “Citizens Bank Above & Beyond Award” for the Batesville School District. 

BATESVILLE – February 12, 2015 – More than 350 women are expected to attend Citizens Bank’s “Red Hot Ladies Luncheon” on Friday, February 20, in Independence Hall at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville.  The annual event focuses on raising women’s awareness of health issues and promoting good habits for healthy lifestyles. 

BATESVILLE – February 3, 2015 – Citizens Bank has donated the former Ivory Owl gift shop building on South Saint Louis Street to the city’s Parks & Recreation Department.  The city is currently dismantling and relocating the structure to the North Athletic Complex. 

“The city thanks Citizens Bank for generously offering this building to us,” said Mayor Rick Elumbaugh.  “This structure will help us create a maintenance shop that we badly need at the North Complex – and will save the city thousands of dollars, too.”

BATESVILLE – January 26, 2015 – The Independence County Sheriff’s Department has gained a much-needed training and meeting facility with the donation from Citizens Bank of its former Westside Branch building in Batesville.  The building will be used by the Department’s Community Relations Team for meetings and preparing programs that the team will be presenting to the community.

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)