Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker to retire

Lawrence “Larry” Hincker, Virginia Tech’s longtime spokesman, plans to retire  later this year.

Hincker, the associate vice president for university relations at Tech, has served as the university’s senior communications officer under four presidents. He will continue working at his position until his replacement begins work.

Hincker was Tech’s public face during intense media coverage after April 16, 2007 when a deranged student killed 32 people and wounded 17 others at Tech before taking his own life.

“In our darkest hour, Larry's leadership, resolve, and compassion helped to hold our devastated community together,” President Emeritus Charles W. Steger said in a statement. “He represented all of the Hokie Nation as he sought to do the impossible — explain the unexplainable to millions of people watching all over the world. Yet, beyond that, over the decades I had the opportunity to work with him, Larry has been an ambassador for the university and a strategic thinker and valued colleague to the university's leadership.”

Hired as director of educational communications in 1988, Hincker, a Virginia Tech graduate, was named head of University Relations  the next year. Since then, he has been responsible for all communication activities of the university.

“Most gratifying to me are the changing and improved perceptions of Virginia Tech's reputation,” Hincker said in a statement. “As communicators, we don't create the brand; we simply put a spotlight on it. I am pleased to know that University Relations had some role in helping cement our place among higher education leaders.”

Before coming to work at Virginia Tech, Hincker spend 14 years in corporate communications positions including manager of public information for a division of Westinghouse in Washington state and employee communications manager for a division of Rockwell International. He also was visual communications manager for a Washington state utility.