RALEIGH , N.C. – Hope Holding Connell has been elected president of IronStone Bank by the company’s board of directors. IronStone is a subsidiary of North Carolina-based First Citizens BancShares Inc. (Nasdaq: FCNCA).
“Hope Connell is an excellent leader and a strong executive, and has the broad perspective and knowledge to assume her new responsibilities,” said BancShares Chairman Lewis R. Holding. “She has experience in virtually every facet of banking and management.”
Connell is excited about the opportunities at IronStone. “It’s a bank with a solid foundation and tremendous potential,” she said. “We’ll focus on what IronStone does best — and that is providing exceptional service to small businesses and professionals.”
A 20-year banking veteran, Connell came up through the ranks at Raleigh-based First Citizens Bank, serving in several leadership positions from branch manager to commercial banker. Since 2002, Connell has spearheaded First Citizens’ business banking efforts as executive vice president. She also leads the bank’s Essential Services Group comprised of Business & Treasury Services, working capital finance, and international, leasing and insurance services. She will continue to manage these operations.
In April 2006, Connell was elected to the board of directors of First Citizens Bank and IronStone Bank and the executive committee of First Citizens Bank and First Citizens BancShares.
In 2005, Connell’s prominence in the financial services industry led to her being named the first woman to serve as chair of the North Carolina Bankers Association (NCBA), a position previously held by her grandfather and her uncle. She completed her one-year term in June. She was elected to NCBA’s board in 2002.
Connell also provides key leadership on several boards and organizations. She serves on the steering committee for the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship, a position she also held for the successful 2001 Women’s Open. She is also a member of the boards of directors of Southern BancShares (N.C.) Inc., the Yadkin Valley Company and the North Carolina Community Foundation of Wake County. She also serves on the board of the Capital Area YMCA.
As president of IronStone Bank, Connell is among the third generation of her family to lead a BancShares’ subsidiary. A native of Smithfield , N.C., Connell earned bachelor’s degrees (1985) in English and Economics and an MBA (1990) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
With executive offices in Alpharetta, Ga., Fort Myers, Fla., and Scottsdale, Ariz., IronStone Bank focuses on serving individual customers, professionals and small to mid-sized businesses. IronStone is a federally chartered thrift institution with 55 offices serving Georgia, Florida, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. For more information, call toll free at 1.866.IB DIRECT (1.866.423.4732) or visit ironstonebank.com.
First Citizens BancShares (Nasdaq: FCNCA) is a $15.5 billion financial holding company based in Raleigh, N.C. BancShares’ two major subsidiaries are IronStone Bank and 108-year-old First Citizens Bank with 335 branches in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Maryland.
For more information, contact:
Barbara Thompson
(919) 716-2716
IronStone Bank
