Citizens Trust Bank.

In addition to his new position, in May 2003, Ray M. Robinson was also named chairman of Citizens Trust Bank, a historic African American institution founded in 1921 currently occupying the No. 5 spot on the BE BANK list. Robinson was named to the board in 2000 after being recruited by Herman Russell. He has served on its director loan committee and executive committee since.

"It has helped me reacquaint myself with the banking industry," says Robinson, who earned a B.S. in finance and economics and an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Denver but had not worked directly in the field.

"As I see it, my vision is really helping the bank to grow and become even more profitable than it has been in the past," says Robinson of his new role. He anticipates growth through acquiring more corporate accounts and through better utilization of existing resources. Robinson also says the corporate experience and the relationships he's gained through a 35-year career at AT&T and his position at the East Lake Golf Club will help generate business for the bank.

He is particularly pleased to serve as Citizen Trust's chairman because of its rich history. He describes Citizens' recent acquisition of Birmingham, Alabama's Citizens Federal Savings Bank as the meeting of two historic banks indispensable to the civil rights movement. "Mr. Gaston and Mr. Russell [the banks' longtime leaders] are two legends. Dr. King and Dr. Abernathy were out front. But when those guys went to jail, someone had to get them out. Those banks were instrumental to the organizations they represented," he explains

Although he laments young people's lack of familiarity with the history of these banking institutions, Robinson is confident that the bank will grow from its substantial roots into a leading enterprise for years to come. "I think we have the makings of a very strong, solid bank with a unique heritage."