John Rocovich, the rector of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, was removed Wednesday by Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
In a letter notifying Rocovich of his firing, Spanberger accused him of conduct that violated the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors’ Code of Ethics, the code of conduct for state appointees and governing statutes “requiring board members to act in accordance with the best interest of Virginia Tech.”
The governor’s office did not immediately provide additional information or specifics about the reason for Rocovich’s removal, but announced Thursday that current board member Edward Baine, president of Dominion Energy, would complete Rocovich’s term, which ends on June 30, 2027. Baine was first appointed to the board by then-Gov. Ralph Northam in 2018 and was reappointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2022.
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Rocovich’s removal comes a month after Spanberger named four new appointees to the board ahead of the presidential search. One of those appointees, Sharon Brickhouse Martin, will immediately fill the remaining open term, which ends June 30, before beginning her full term on July 1.
Though the rest of Spanberger’s appointees’ terms don’t begin until July 1, the governor made her elections in advance of that date because Rocovich “committed to placing her appointees on the university’s presidential search committee,” according to a governor’s office news release at the time.
Rocovich’s removal is the next step by the new Democratic administration to reshape the Republican-dominated board.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax County, praised the move Thursday.
“I am pleased the governor is going to continue to resolve the Youngkin Board of Visitors hangover and their politicization of our universities,” he said in a text message.
Like Rocovich, nearly all of the current members of Virginia Tech’s 13-person board were appointed by Youngkin.
As of July 1, the board will feature at least five Spanberger appointees.
House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, demanded an explanation from Spanberger.
“I’ve known John for years, and I know he has done nothing but act in the best interest of Virginia Tech. To suggest otherwise is libelous,” he said in a statement Thursday.
“The Governor owes the Virginia Tech community — and all Virginians — an explanation for this decision. What exactly did John Rocovich do?”
Kilgore applauded Rocovich’s commitment to Virginia Tech and accused Spanberger of removing him for “purely political reasons.”
Rocovich first served on the board from 1997 to 2005 and as rector from 2002 to 2004. He served again from 2010 to 2014 and was appointed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin to another term in 2023.
In 2025, the board of visitors made an exception to its own bylaws to allow Rocovich to serve a third term as rector — a move that initially had him leading the search for the university’s next president after Tim Sands in April announced his intention to step down.
The rector is the elected chair of the board of visitors. The board’s bylaws limit the number of times a member can serve as rector to two one-year terms. Rocovich had served as rector from 2002 to 2004, which initially made him ineligible to serve as rector again for the 2025-2026 year.
The board of visitors is set to next meet on campus in Blacksburg on Monday and Tuesday.
Reporter Elizabeth Beyer contributed information to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
