Huntington Bank Appoints Reza Aghamirzadeh Director of Community Development

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Reza Aghamirzadeh has joined Huntington Bank as senior vice president and director of community development. Aghamirzadeh oversees and leads all aspects of Huntington's community development initiatives, which are important to its mission of local involvement and leadership in the communities it serves. He reports up through Mary Navarro, senior executive vice president and retail and business banking director.

"Reza has an impressive background in managing highly successful community initiatives," said Navarro. "Huntington has built a treasured legacy of giving back to our communities. Reza also shares our values on the importance of community investment. He will provide the leadership we need to maintain and strengthen the Huntington legacy."

Aghamirzadeh's responsibilities include development, implementation and management of strategy with respect to the Community Reinvestment Act, and he also has primary responsibility for the community development lending and investment function.

"I look forward to working for an institution that plans to build on its foundation of community involvement as it grows," said Aghamirzadeh. "Huntington understands how important it is for its communities to remain vibrant places to work and to live. I am excited to help in that very noble effort."

Prior to joining Huntington, Aghamirzadeh was senior vice president and manager for the community and external affairs division of Washington Mutual, Inc.  In that capacity he oversaw all the company's community programs and initiatives including affordable lending and investment programs targeted at under-served communities and ethnic and minority borrowers, Community Reinvestment Act initiatives, corporate and employee giving, employee volunteerism financial education, community outreach and diversity programs.

Before joining Washington Mutual in 2003, Aghamirzadeh was senior vice president and director of the community development division for U.S. Bancorp in Minneapolis, Minn., overseeing the company's community engagement activities in a 24-state region. Altogether, Aghamirzadeh has more than 15 years of experience in community development and 20 years experience in financial services.

Aghamirzadeh earned dual undergraduate degrees from Portland State University in accounting and psychology. His master's is in strategic management from the University of Minnesota.

About Huntington

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (Nasdaq: HBAN) is a $52 billion regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.  Through its affiliated companies, Huntington has been providing a full range of financial services including checking, loans, savings, insurance and investment services to customers for 144 years. Huntington also offers retail and commercial financial services through more than 600 banking offices; online at huntington.com; through its technologically advanced, telephone bank; and through its network of over 1,300 ATMs.

SOURCE Huntington Bancshares Incorporated