A local restaurant owner and chef is the new culinary arts instructor at Charles Henderson High School.

The Troy City Board of Education approved the hire of Chris Dickens, owner of Sweet Rack Rib Shack in Troy and Tallahassee, Fla.

“We’re very excited to have him on board,” said Dr. Lee Hicks, superintendent. “He brings not just the culinary arts background but the business side, as well.”

Dickens has been an adjunct professor at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College and has taught part-time with the Crenshaw County School System. “He brings an enormous amount of expertise to the table, from working on cruise ships to working in foreign countries,” Hicks said. “It was a very impressive interview.”

Dickens and his wife, Amanda, opened the Troy location of their barbecue restaurant in early 2015. Hicks said Dickens plans to continue working with the restaurant as well as teaching in the culinary arts program.

Dickens’ hire was one of six personnel items approved during Thursday’s call meeting. “Hopefully this is the last group of hires,” Hicks said. “We’ve got everybody in place for the start of school.”

Other hires include Benjamin Johnson, CHHS custodian; Amy Brown, Troy Elementary School counselor; Mary Snyder and Quaylan Moncrief, TES aide and the transfer of Daniel Wyche from TES aide to CHHS aide.