First Citizens Bank Makes Contribution to Lenoir-Rhyne College

 

October 1, 2002

HICKORY, N.C. - First Citizens Bank has contributed $50,000 to Lenoir-Rhyne College's Charles M. Snipes School of Business. The gift will go toward the renovations of Mauney-Schaeffer Halls, where the business school will be located. A conference and events office within the building will be named for First Citizens Bank.

"We applaud First Citizens Bank for its generous and continuous support," said Teri Lemons, vice president for Institutional Advancement. "The bank's contribution will help with the completion of the renovation project and will benefit our campus and the business community for many years to come. It is great to have a project that will benefit both the College and its supporters. First Citizens Bank is one of our Business Council charter members."

First Citizens' focus on education is one of the bank's four key areas of community involvement that also include economic and community development, health and human services and the arts and culture. In addition to monetary support, First Citizens associates donate thousands of hours annually to community initiatives in its market areas.

"At First Citizens, we believe it's important to be a good neighbor and support initiatives that make a positive impact in the community," said Ben Woodruff, Catawba Area executive for the bank. "We're extremely pleased that we can be a part of this project that will serve as a venue for education, conferences and campus/business partnerships."

When completed, Mauney-Schaeffer Halls will house the Charles M. Snipes School of Business, the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the School of Computing Sciences and Mathematics, the College's Career Center, and other offices.

The project also includes a conference center that will contain a small lecture hall, a computer lab, multimedia classrooms, seminar rooms, a lobby registration area and the Business Council Board Room.

The upper floors of Schaeffer Hall will provide apartments and guest accommodations for visiting professors, lecturers, interns and for Business Council members during meetings, conferences and other events.

The renovation project is expected to begin this fall with a dedication in fall of 2003. Those interested in information about remaining naming opportunities in the facility should contact Teri Lemons, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, at Lenoir-Rhyne College by telephone at (828) 328-7360 or by e-mail at lemons@lrc.edu.

First Citizens Bank entered the Hickory market in 1962 and operates five branches in Catawba County. Founded in 1898, First Citizens Bank operates 341 branches in 202 cities and towns in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Headquartered in Raleigh, the bank has $11.86 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank is committed to providing superior financial services to individual customers and small to mid-sized businesses. For more information about First Citizens Bank and its services, visit firstcitizens.com or call toll-free 1-888-FC DIRECT (1-888-323-4732).

Established in 1891, Lenoir-Rhyne College is a private, coeducational college affiliated with the N.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is open to students from all religious backgrounds. Undergraduate degrees include Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Music Education in more than 60 majors. Graduate degrees are offered in education, business administration and counselor education. For information about Lenoir-Rhyne College, visit www.lrc.edu or call 1-800-277-5721.

For more information, contact:

Barbara Thompson (919) 716-2716 First Citizens Bank

Margaret Allen (828) 328-7109 Lenoir-Rhyne College