Ed Willingham
Immediate Past Chair

Ed Willingham served as the 2006-07 chair of the Regional Transportation Alliance. Willingham is Executive Vice President for First Citizens Bank's Triangle Region. His responsibilities include overseeing commercial, business and retail banking for 80 offices and more than 500 employees throughout 15 central North Carolina counties. Willingham has been with Raleigh-headquartered First Citizens for 19 years.

First Citizens Bank has been a Leadership Team member of RTA since the Alliance's inception. Willingham is the bank's RTA Leadership Team representative.

Willingham has also provided key leadership for other organizations. He served as President of the Triangle YMCA from 1995-1997 and as chairman for the Wake County United Way campaign in 1994. He is also a past board member of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.

Willingham has a bachelor's degree from Davidson College and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been a resident of Raleigh for nearly 25 years. Willingham and his wife Carol have four sons and a daughter-in-law.