And on Feb. 16, 2011, Denbow officially will retire from the university that he said has given him unique opportunities.

“In what other job could I see two of my daughters arm-in-arm with Berry Gordy singing ‘My Girl’?” Denbow said. “A career that allowed me to promote a Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, a world grant philosophy, faculty research that feeds millions and cures disease, and gave me the inside stories on the soundtrack to my generation is far more than I deserved.”

Heather Swain, who previously was assistant vice president for University Relations, will assume Denbow’s role as acting vice president.

It has not yet been announced if the university will conduct a search to replace Denbow, but if it does, the replacement will have large shoes to fill, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said.

“Terry Denbow has been a guiding force behind the university image,” Simon said. “Not only locally, but internationally.”

Back in the day

After beginning his public relations career in higher education at the University of Alabama and Penn State University, MSU hired Denbow in 1982 to fill the newly created position of director of public relations. It was a position that faced some controversy because the university was spending state tax dollars to promote itself.

“When I first came here and used (terms such as) ‘positioning’ and ‘differentiation’ and ‘marketing’, a lot of people criticized that.” Denbow said. “People on our staff said that, ‘We are not a public relations office. I will not belong to a public relations office.’”

Prior to Denbow’s hiring, University Relations was called “Information Services” and acted more as a news generator rather than the university’s brand developer, said Kirk Heinze, former communication director for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, or CANR.

Heinze said under Denbow, University Relations went from “putting out press releases to hometown papers about students doing good things” to a “fully integrated public relations program.”

“We are not just assimilating news like we did in the old days,” Heinze said. “We create news every day.”

Denbow describes his job as an advocate for the university, to help frame issues in higher education and support the university.

“When you work in a PR office, you are not neutral,” Denbow said. “You have to be honest, you have to be credible and you have to be consistent, but you have to be an advocate.”

New techniques

Before Denbow was hired, Heinze ran the communication department of CANR as its own entity, as did the communication departments of MSU’s other colleges.

“We sort of did our own thing,” Heinze said. “Many times we didn’t include the rest of the university. That has all changed. … The university brand is paramount and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources becomes a sub-brand the flagship brand is MSU, and that’s really how it should be.”

The change meant everything from colleges working more closely with University Relations, to university press releases mentioning a person is from MSU before mentioning their college.

“One of the reasons why I was brought here was because there were too many messengers,” Denbow said. “Each college had many voices talking from many places, not a central institutional voice out there who spoke for administration.”

Uniting the voices created a solidified, strengthened voice for the university, an important aspect when dealing with other universities and institutions, Denbow said.

“You have to get your voice heard in the marketplace,” Denbow said. “The marketplace isn’t neutral; it will drive you out if you are not aggressive and consistent.”

Competing in the marketplace is growing in importance for universities’ survival, said J.T. Forbes, a former assistant vice president for University Relations who now is executive director of the Indiana University Alumni Association.

“We can’t rely on the state government,” Forbes said. “Tuition is a limited source, so really philanthropy becomes more and more important. Over Terry’s career, (University Relations) moved from a news bureau to PR to a much more sophisticated marketing-oriented strategic activity connected back to what institution is trying to achieve.”

A strong institution

Throughout the next six months atop his other duties, Denbow will help University Relations transition to the new vice president. He said he is confident in the department’s ability to move forward.

“This division is in a position and poised and staffed to do some really, really good things,” Denbow said. “You would like to leave at a time where things are going well.”

With Denbow, the university has transitioned into the technological age. Denbow saw both the creation and the ending of the university’s printing operation. He hired the first videographer for University Relations in 1983, and since has created and focused on social media positions, such as web designers.

The university also has stepped up in crisis management under Denbow, who helped create the MSU’s first formal press policy.

“Sometimes bad things happen and someone has to stand up there and face the media, and Terry is really good at that,” Heinze said.

A part of CANR, Heinze worked closely with Denbow during the 1999 arson in Agriculture Hall.

“We had all these folks camped out on the lawn of Agriculture Hall, everyone wanted to know what was going on,” Heinze said. “It really could have gotten ugly, and Terry handed it beautifully. … That’s a very vivid memory in my mind until this day.”

Denbow said he is most proud of the division becoming a springboard for others to continue on in PR roles in higher education. Former workers have gone on to public relations at Iowa State University, the University of Michigan and the University of California, Davis.

“This has been a very supportive place for people who want to work hard and get the job done,” Denbow said. “I have been very, very lucky.”

Although Denbow is unsure what life holds for him after he leaves MSU, the time he has spent at the university has been fulfilling.

“This a great, great university,” Denbow said. “Yes, there are issues and crises and negative things over time, but when the dust settles, this job — this career — has been unbelievably gratifying.”