Citizens Bank of Batesville Announces LPO in Fayetteville

by Paul Gatling ([email protected]) 173 views 

Citizens Bank, headquartered in the northeast Arkansas town of Batesville, is making its move into the Northwest Arkansas market

President and CEO Phil Baldwin announced Oct. 3 the bank plans to open a loan production office at 1676 E. Joyce Blvd. in Fayetteville, in the former location of Delta Trust & Bank.

The LPO will open Feb. 1.

Doug Lynch, an experienced banker in the local market, will be Citizens Bank’s Northwest Arkansas president. Lynch has been in the banking industry for nearly three decades, and has been Citizens Bank’s executive vice president and chief lending officer since 2012.

He has previously held top positions in the Northwest Arkansas market for Delta Trust & Bank (2008-2011) and Liberty Bank of Arkansas (2004-2008).

“Our board of directors is committed to a strategic growth plan,” Baldwin said. “And we believe Doug is the right person to lead us into this important region of the state.”

As of June 30, Citizens Bank was the largest bank in Independence County with $537.9 million in assets, up 1.4 percent from $530.4 a year earlier.

The bank was chartered in 1953 and has 10 branch locations in northeast Arkansas.