Phillip N. Baldwin

Phillip Baldwin is a nationally recognized leader in rural community and economic development. His pioneering concept of combining strategic community planning with economic development was recognized by Bloomberg-Business Week Magazine, which named him one of America’s top five social entrepreneurs, and by the Council of Foundations, which presented him with its highest national award, the Critical Impact Award for outstanding community development programs and initiatives. In 2018, the American Bankers Association named Citizens Bank the best bank in America for Economic and Community Development due to Citizens Bank’s innovative community development work in support of the IMPACT Independence County Strategic Community Plan.

With a personal focus on improving education, Baldwin is a champion of innovative education and workforce training programs. He was a key partner in the founding and development of the KIPP Public Charter School in Helena, Arkansas and led the creation of the Arkadelphia Promise in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

He is currently chairman of the Board of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards of the White River Medical System and the University of Arkansas Community College of Batesville. Previous board services includes the Board of Visitors of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Baldwin is a past National Board Chair of United Way of America, where he established United Ways national philanthropic strategies and policies focused on income, education and health. He is a founding board member of United Way Worldwide and served on this Board for 12 years as United Way extended its reach into 47 countries across the world.

Baldwin is proud to have served his home state of Arkansas as a member of the Board of Directors of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation for six years with his final year as board chair.

Before joining Citizens Bank, Baldwin served as chief executive officer of CredAbility, an Atlanta-based national nonprofit credit counseling agency and as chief executive officer of Southern Bancorp, the nation’s largest rural development bank. Baldwin began his career in the banking services group of Ernst & Young and is a certified public accountant.