By Alabama Public Radio
Birmingham, AL – A downtown Birmingham bank whose origins trace back to legendary black entrepreneur A.G. Gaston is forming a racially mixed advisory panel as it seeks to expand its customer base. Citizens Trust Bank will now have a board of four blacks and three whites -- including three women. Board members include Cathy Crenshaw of Sloss Development, Jeffrey Bayer of Bayer Properties and surgeon Shefton Riggins of Baptist Princeton Medical Center. Officials say the panel's makeup is designed to help the Atlanta-based bank better serve all segments of Alabama. Bob Nesbitt is the President of the bank's Alabama operations. Nesbitt says the advisory committee has met quarterly with bank officials since January, helping Citizens set outreach goals. Gaston founded the bank to provide services to blacks who were shunned by white-owned banks. Nesbitt says the bank will always focus on being the best minority bank in the city, but it also wants to reach out and have a broad base of customers.