Pictured above: Micah Beard, the newly announced regional president for Citizens Bank’s north central Arkansas market, with his wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Avri. Image via Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank has a new regional president for the north Arkansas market.
Micah Beard is transitioning to regional president of the financial institution’s north central Arkansas market where “…he will continue to support the bank’s mission to put people first,” Citizens Bank, headquartered in Batesville, announced Thursday. The move is effective immediately, Citizens said in a release.
Beard is part of the bank’s “next generation of progressive leadership,” the release noted. Last week, Citizens announced Adam Mitchell is succeeding retiring CEO Phil Baldwin. (Click here for that story.)
In his role, Beard will be responsible for the north central region and will be the primary point of contact for local decisions as a hands-on resource and leader in the Batesville community, the release said.
“Micah is the right person to lead our talented team of associates in the north central region,” said Mitchell, president and CEO of Citizens Bank. “Through his leadership, Citizens Bank was one of the first banks in the region to originate PPP loans for our customers, demonstrating his true commitment to community banking.”
A native of Monticello, Beard attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello, where he received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance and accounting. He later obtained specialized degrees from the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University and the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania.
Beard has been employed at the bank since 2008 and has more than 25 years of experience in banking. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Batesville and is a board member for the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce and serves on the White River Health System Advisory Board and the Vital Link Board.
As outgoing president of the Arkansas Sheriff Youth Ranch’s (ASYR) Board of Trustees, Beard has overseen two of the organization’s most successful years. He helped the ASYR secure a PPP grant, providing crucial margin during the pandemic, the bank said.
Beard also helped by increasing Citizens Bank’s matching gift by 50 percent to encourage even more donations, which ultimately enabled ASYR to have its largest single day of giving in the organization’s history. For his community involvement, the Batesville Chamber of Commerce is celebrating him as one of its 2021 Spirit of Independence honorees.
Beard lives in Batesville with his wife, Jennifer, and their daughter, Avri, age 9.
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