Citizens Bank encourages consumers to establish their savings goals and consider some budgeting strategies as part of a financial tune up for 2012.

“The beginning of a new year is the perfect time for consumers to review their finances and to conduct a simple financial tune-up that can help them recognize any patterns they want to change or new opportunities to save in the year ahead,” said Daniel K. Kilpatrick, Citizens Bank president and CEO for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

“We encourage our customers, and all consumers, to take the time to review their records for 2011, write down their financial goals and start thinking about their household budgets for 2012.”

The bank suggests the following checklist for an annual checkup: identify financial goals for the year, build a budget, eliminate or reduce debt, establish automatic savings by having part of your paycheck direct-deposited into a savings account, evaluate your retirement savings strategy, check your credit reports and seek advice from a banker, financial adviser or accountant.

These financial tips will help consumers identify opportunities to end 2012 in better financial shape than they started.

The following programs are also available to Citizens Bank customers as they pursue their financial goals in 2012: GoalTrack Savings, a program that offers bonuses to customers; CollegeSaver accounts that offer financial incentives to families saving money for college; Homebuyer Savings, a program that offers $1,000 toward the closing cost of a Citizens Bank mortgage to savers who have saved $100 a month for 36 months; and the Value Plan, a program that offers a new set of features for checking accounts.

Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania is a state-chartered bank with dual headquarters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. a $131 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island.

Fun loving, driven describes Citizens Bank’s senior vice president of public affairs

Her 22nd floor windowed-office at Citizens Bank in Center City holds a selection of some of the business and personal books and photos that are near and dear to her. As senior vice president and director of public affairs (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware) with Citizens Bank, Henri Gilliam Moore is responsible for the preservation and enhancement of the bank’s brand and reputation. In this position for the past three years, she manages public relations, media relations, special events, charitable contributions, philanthropic activities and community outreach activities, supervises eight people and travels throughout the region.

Prior to this position, she served as national sales manager for Comcast Corporation, developing and managing strategic partnerships. She also worked with HBO where she managed corporate marketing campaigns.

“I’m so glad to be in this position at this time,” says Moore. “It’s like a dream job. I really enjoy visiting the programs we fund such as the gardening program in West Philadelphia. The residents plant the food, harvest it and then sell it both in their own neighborhood and in Rittenhouse Square. It’s most rewarding to see the fruits of my labor and having the opportunity to give back. It’s get out and give time.”

Fun-loving. Content. Driven. This is how Henri G. Moore describes herself. She thinks others would suggest: aggressive, fun loving and focused. Not inconsistent, at all!

Being able to see the goal, to have a photo of the end motivates this conscientious manager. Communication is paramount to getting things done, and she personally prefers direct verbal communication to electronic. “I will get up and walk to someone’s office to discuss an issue to make sure we are communicating effectively. I think the personal touch is important.”

When asked how she solves problems, she indicates that she prays.

Among her many and varied community and civic activities, Moore serves on the board of directors of the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis Center; is chairperson of The Links Inc. Penn Towne Chapter fundraising committee (a position she’s held “it seems like forever”); and as a long-time member of Jack and Jill she is chairing the national convention that comes to the city this August celebrating the organization’s 75th anniversary. Additionally, she is a member of Project H.O.M.E.’s Public Relations and Development Committee.

Moore has a bachelor of arts in business administration from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, where she majored in marketing, with a minor in economics. As a very industrious young woman, her first job (which her father assisted her in obtaining at age 18), was in a juvenile detention center. She worked every summer in such varying positions as a receptionist, florist and staff for the department of transportation.

Being reared in a family where one’s mother, father, aunt, uncles and grandfather were lawyers, one would most assuredly aspire to the legal profession. So, Moore wanted to follow suit and become a lawyer. However, as her father suggested, she “wanted to be a lawyer, but didn’t want to study law.” It’s clear that she walked a different path. However, she proudly shares that her grandmother, mother and aunt are alumna of Howard University.

Her father Daniel L. Mann, a track star in high school, died last October. Her mother, Shirley Mann, still lives in Ohio with plans to relocate to Philadelphia within the next three months. Her older sister, Dawne Mann, lives in New York.

Moore’s fondest childhood memory is of family trips to French Lick, Ind., and summer visits with her grandmother in Welch, West Virginia, where she played hide-and-seek, ate Dairy Queen and had a lot of fun at church picnics.

She has a deep sense of fulfillment and pride with respect to her three children: Keil, 26, Danielle, 24, and Alexandra, 12. “They are really nice people.”

There’s a noticeable softness to her tone and persona as she speaks of each of them. The youngest member of the family attends Springside School and is a very caring person who likes to mobilize the family to get involved with causes. Danielle is a legislative aide for the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Keil scouts high school girls for college basketball and writes for ESPN.

Jamaica is her favorite vacation spot where she journeys at least once annually, and if she gets the opportunity, she’ll make the trip a second time. Listening to lots of music and gardening are her favorite pastimes. Moore says that she really likes food — any kind of really good food. “While I’m not generally a game player, I recently attended a game party and enjoyed it very much especially games similar to charades. I would love to learn to play bridge — my mother plays and it helps keep her mind active-as does being a docent at the Art Museum.”

Henri acknowledges Barbara Gee, Charisse Lillie and Scheryl Glanton as mentors who have all been of great support to her. She smiles warmly as she notes her mother (whom she still calls “Mommy”). “She taught me how to be a woman.”

For the most part, her mentees have primarily been young women at Comcast and Citizens Bank. “Barbara Gee stressed the responsibility to help young people, and I find it rewarding because they don’t know what they don’t know. It’s great to be able to impart wisdom to young women,” says Moore who also chairs a mentoring program attending the Russell Byers Charter School.

Notes Barbara Gee, vice president of online sales alliances, Comcast Corporation, “While Henri considers me as a mentor, I’ve learned equally as much from her both professionally and personally. Henri is a fearless leader, a fiercely loyal friend. She’s the person that you want on your team. It’s rare to have someone who reports to you evolve into this friend. For her to be where she is at Citizens Bank coming from Comcast, is just the best fit. It couldn’t have been better scripted.”

Family is paramount in this purposeful woman’s life.

“My husband is the love of my life. He just believes that we (she and the children) can do anything we set our minds to in any way or shape possible.”

Anthony K. Moore (Tony) is principal at Paradigm Group Management Consultants.

“I’m so glad that I met my husband and moved to Philadelphia and built a really strong family and group of friends,” says Moore.

While she has received many awards as an individual and as representative for Citizens Bank, she was honored and surprised to received the Jack & Jill Distinguished Mother Award for developing a strategic plan for the children. “I thought it was important to have a long-range vision and action plan for our children and it was accepted,” she says.

Recently, the Bank received the Mentorship Award from Philadelphia Academies. Moore is also a recipient of The Philadelphia Tribune’s “Women on the Move” award (2010).

“If I had known life was going to feel this short at my age, now, I would have pushed harder; from the perspective of being able to look back that you really begin to know. At this age, I find that I have begun to be razor sharp about what’s really important in life”.

Close women friends and sister girlfriends are important to her. “My closest girlfriend has been such since the second grade. Karen Morrison still lives in Ohio and we are in similar positions, except she’s in the health field. Another good friend is Dr. Susan Taylor. When I moved here in 1993, she hosted a luncheon for me. It was really a surprise and we’ve remained friends ever since. I truly believe that friends are there ‘to ride or die.’ They will be there when it’s good and when it’s bad. They’re there to laugh with you and to cry with you. I love my friends deeply.”

Moore’s “aha” moment came with the understanding that everything happens for a reason: the good and the bad; and the need to acknowledge the other side of a situation.

When asked to identify her heroes, she speaks of Marian Wright Edelman, the Children’s Defense Fund and her mother, who forged her way through law school at a time when women weren’t practicing.

“My mother then worked in the education system and advanced to assistant superintendent,” says Moore. “She always worked and took care of the family, made dinner every day (cooked meals on Sunday for the entire week) and was also a great partner to our father, including nursing him through a lengthy illness. My mother showed me what it’s like to be a woman.”

Locally, she admires the vision and drive evidenced by Sister Mary Scullion and Jane Golden (Mural Arts Program executive director); both are trying to change the world for the less fortunate.

“The main lesson that I learned from my father is that there is more than one way to skin a cat,” she says. “He told us to find our way; be the best at whatever you’re doing at the time and no one can take that away from you. My mother taught me to put family first, and have a fulfilled life. While my mother was very busy managing a career and family, she never looked overwhelmed. I still marvel at how she did it. I have an older sister, however, I’m the junior matriarch of the family.”

In looking at what’s happening in the city, Moore indicates that Philadelphia needs an educational system that turns out youth that are able to get a job and make this region grow.

To those young people aspiring to a leadership position, she says, “Don’t focus on the title or outside ramifications of the job. Just do to the best job you can possibly do and it will come. Really listen to what’s being said-not just the words, but the meaning.”

My personal motto is “You can’t get it all. You get a lot. You have to be happy with that. Be grateful for what you have and be gracious.” One thing I know for sure is that I have to be grateful — it’s really about the small things — about relishing small moments-like looking at the trees. I think there’s nothing better than giving back. I’d like to be remembered as someone who brought happiness to lots — one who loved hard and gave as good as I got.”

If the turnout during Wednesday’s workforce entry-level job fair at the Central Library is any indication, there is no shortage of able-bodied Philadelphians looking for a decent job.

To help these job-seekers in their search, the Citizens Bank Foundation donated a $20,000 grant to underwrite the annual job fair.

“The Free Library of Philadelphia is absolutely committed to ensuring a bright economic future for all Philadelphians, and the workforce job fair is an incredible resource for job-searching community members,” said Siobhan A. Reardon, president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia. “Not only can they network and meet potential employers, they can learn how to prepare themselves for every aspect of the search.

“Every year, the Free Library helps thousands of people get jobs through the comprehensive services we have in each of our library locations.”

Reardon expects more than 1,000 people to obtain employment through Wednesday’s fair alone.

Citizens Bank representative Henri Moore and Kevin Dow, the city’s deputy director of commerce, joined Reardon for the announcement, made amidst the din of a hundred or so job seekers in the lobby of the library.

There are actually two annual workshops – the one completed on Wednesday, and another one set for the fall in the Northeast Branch. These workforce job fairs include free online job search, resume critiquing clinic, and workshop. Team Clean, Inc., Unique Advantage, LLC, Community College of Philadelphia, Walgreens, SEPTA, Watermark at Logan Square, the Philadelphia Police Department, Holy redeemer Health System, Citizens Bank and Constellation Energy are just a few of the regional businesses and service providers that participate and make hires at the job fairs.

Although admittance to the annual job fairs are free, one has to either call 215-686-5436, visit the central library in person or click over to http://workplacejobfair2012.eventbrite.com to register for the upcoming fair in the Northeast.

“Without [the library and Citizens bank Foundation] coming together, we wouldn’t be able to create a world-class economic environment in the city of Philadelphia,” said Dow, a moment before Moore presented the $20,000 check. “I’d like to thank the library for creating the workforce job fair program, and I hope everybody takes advantage of it.”

The Citizens Bank Foundation has long been a supporter of various community initiatives throughout the city, having recently donated funds to the African American Museum in Philadelphia, along with prime sponsorship of its $50,000 TruFit Good Citizens Scholarship program, which will benefit college students who volunteer in their respective communities.

“Since 2008, we’ve had people come in seeking assistance, people who typically didn’t have good job search skills or know how to access resources,” Reardon said. “Now they can get that one-on-one connectivity, and it’s in a place that they know and feel comfortable in.”

Contact staff writer Damon C. Williams at (215) 893-5745 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Citizens Bank has donated $10,000 to Legacy Youth Tennis and Education (formerly known as Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education) to help support after-school tennis and education programs in three schools in Camden.

The money, in addition to funds from other donors, will support after-school programs at Camden’s Cooper’s Poynt Elementary School, R.C. Molina Elementary and Pyne Poynt Middle School. A total of 300 students will benefit from the after-school programs that run from 3 to 6 p.m.

“Because its programs have a positive effect on shaping the lives of potentially at-risk children, Citizens Bank has a strong, ongoing partnership with Legacy Youth Tennis and Education,” said Henri G. Moore, senior vice president and director of public affairs for Citizens Bank and a member of the Legacy board of directors.

“The funds will help keep unsupervised children off the streets four afternoons every week throughout the school year and focus their energies on homework and learning the great sport of tennis.”

Legacy has served young people in Camden for 20 years and will work with Rutgers University – Camden and Camden City schools to deliver the after school programming.

“We’re grateful for the ongoing participation and contributions from Citizens Bank,” said Kenny Holdsman, president of Legacy Youth Tennis and Education.

“We’ve reached many more children in recent years in large part because of Citizens Bank’s financial support. Our students are getting the chance to develop not only as student-athletes, but also as leaders and good citizens.”

The money from Citizens Bank will help subsidize funds that Rutgers University recently won through a 21st Century federal grant. The goal of the program is to provide low-income children with the skills that are required to improve themselves both on and off the tennis court.

The partners seek to create a positive and safe space for children to build their cardiovascular capacity, strengthen their academic and athletic achievement and develop a lifelong love of tennis. The program aims to lower the body-mass index in 90 percent of the program participants, while maintaining student attendance at 70 percent.

Family health and tennis nights are held monthly to introduce parents to the game of tennis. During the family nights, parents learn about the benefits of physical exercise and the emotional discipline that organized sports, such as tennis, can provide.