Lewis R. Holding Inducted into North Carolina Business Hall of Fame

First Citizens chairman honored for business, philanthropic contributions

November 17, 2003

RALEIGH, N.C. - Lewis R. Holding, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of First Citizens Bank and its parent company First Citizens BancShares Inc., was inducted into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame during a ceremony Nov. 13 in Charlotte. More than 300 of the state’s prominent business leaders attended the event at The Westin Charlotte.

The Hall of Fame is sponsored by Junior Achievement and North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry (NCCBI). It recognizes business leaders who have significantly contributed to building the state’s economy and who have provided outstanding community and statewide service.

Holding thanked Junior Achievement and NCCBI for the honor. He also acknowledged the help of his family, friends and associates during his career.

First Citizens BancShares (Nasdaq: FCNCA), is a $12.4 billion financial holding company headquartered in Raleigh. Holding also serves as chairman of BancShares’ two major subsidiaries: 105-year-old First Citizens Bank with 332 branches in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia and Atlantic States Bank with 38 offices in Georgia and Florida. In 2002, Atlantic States Bank launched a division, IronStone Bank, which now has nine offices in Arizona, California and Texas. IronStone Bank recently announced its application for entry in New Mexico and Colorado.

Holding’s philanthropic contributions are extensive. He is the founder of the North Carolina Community Foundation and formerly served as its president and as a member of the board. It is one of the state’s largest donor-advised foundations with assets exceeding $60 million. Holding is also a former director and secretary of the James E. and Mary Z. Bryan Foundation. He is a past director of the board for NCCBI and a former chairman of the board of Ravenscroft School. He also served as a member of the North Carolina Art Museum Building Commission.

A native of Smithfield, N.C., Holding attended Wake Forest College and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. Holding is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a first lieutenant.

Other Hall of Fame Laureates conferred with Holding included, Annabelle L. Fetterman, former CEO, Lundy’s Packing; Leon Levine, founder and chairman emeritus, Family Dollar Stores; and Ed O’Herron, former CEO, Eckerd Drugs.

About the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame

Created in 1988 by Junior Achievement of the Central Carolinas Inc., the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame recognizes men and women who have made a significant contribution to the economic well-being of their companies, their industries and the state. Currently there are 68 people in the Hall of Fame representing agriculture, banking, government, manufacturing, retailing, services, textiles, transportation, utilities and other businesses.

About First Citizens Bank

First Citizens Bank provides superior financial services to individual customers and small to mid-sized businesses. For more information, visit firstcitizens.com or call toll-free 1-888-FC DIRECT (1-888-323-4732).

Barbara Thompson
(919) 716-2716
First Citizens Bank