Concord, Arkansas resident Chris Roark was recently named the chief of operations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District. Roark replaces Kevin McDaniels who transferred to USACE’s Detroit District.
In his new position, Roark will serve as the principal technical advisor and consultant to the district engineer for the operations and maintenance program. He will lead a team that supports the USACE missions of navigation, flood control, recreation, natural resources management, and hydropower production.
Roark will manage a water resources infrastructure worth $7 billion, including 13 locks and dams on the Arkansas River, 12 multi-purpose dams and lakes, seven hydroelectric powerhouses, and 164 public parks and recreation areas that log more than 18 million visits a year. The district operations and maintenance budget averages more than $114 million annually.
Roark has 38-years of federal service with the Little Rock District. He has served as a park ranger and chief ranger at Greers Ferry Lake, and prior to his selection as chief of operations, he was Little Rock District’s deputy chief of operations and deployed to southwestern Louisiana after Hurricane Rita. He has also served as executive officer for the Little Rock District.
Roark holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Central Arkansas. He is a graduate of the Little Rock District’s Level 2 Leadership Development Program and the Southwestern Division Level 3 Leadership Development Program.
He is married with two children and three grandchildren and has served as the president of the Concord School District Board of Education.
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