th anniversary with a celebration Thursday, April 4. Founded in 1972 as the Russellville High School Area Vocational Career Center under the helm of Director Bill Lewis – serving students from Atkins, Danville, Dardanelle, Dovor, Hector, Pottsville and Russellville – in 2011 the center (by then known as the Arkansas Career and Technical Center) merged with Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus. ATCC presently serves 11 high schools in Pope, Yell and Johnson counties, offering 9 industry-driven, job-specific programs that prepare high school students for immediate employment or further education. In fact, students earn concurrent college credit. The 40th anniversary ceremony saw alumnus and former administrators, faculty and staff mixing with today’s students, faculty and staff and hearing from several Arkansas Tech administrators, who spoke of the center’s importance in the region. Arkansas Tech President Robert C. Brown said, “We recognize that education is truly a continuum, and we are dedicated in a way that’s unshakable to the prospect of vocational education. … We consider this [center] to be one of the most important things we do. Nothing is more important than preparing people for work, life and citizenship — we consider that to be the mission here.” Other speakers included Arkansas Tech-Ozark Chancellor Jo Alice Blondin, ATCC Director Pat Edmunds and Arkansas Tech-Ozark Chief Academic Officer Bruce Sikes.
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Photo: Julie Morgan, director of Arkansas Tech Alumni Relations, and Truman Pew, former director of the Career Center, during the 40th anniversary celebration Thursday, April 4.]]>
