Rink hired as WATC director

D. Chris Rink, a 22-year resident of Arkansas and superintendent of the Hartford School District, has been selected by the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith to serve as director of the Western Arkansas Technical Center (WATC).

Rink, who will assume his UAFS duties on July 1, has been superintendent at Hartford since 2006. His background in educational administration and teaching also includes serving as principal at Mulberry and as an agriculture teacher at Westside High School in Coal Hill.

He received his bachelor’s degree in plant science at West Texas State University in 1976, his master’s in human resource development from Webster University in 1998, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Arkansas Tech University in 2004 and and educational specialist degree in educational leadership in 2006, also from Arkansas Tech University.

WATC is an area secondary center located on the UAFS campus. WATC’s three primary goals are to aid students in making informed career choices, to prepare students to enter the workforce upon high school graduation and to encourage students to continue their education after high school.

WATC serves area high schools in Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Scott and Sebastian counties.