Air Force Association Announces General Larry Spencer, Retiring Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, as New President

ARLINGTON, Va., April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association (AFA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce General Larry O. Spencer, retiring United States Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, as AFA's new President.

General Spencer, who announced his retirement earlier this week, will direct the association's professional staff in all functional areas and be responsible for the management and operations of the association, which include professional development events across the country and many aerospace educational initiatives. He will also hold the position of publisher of Air Force Magazine, the official journal of the association. The Air Force Association currently has more than 93,000 members around the world.

"General Spencer's leadership and success in the Air Force is inspiring. As a great AFA supporter, we look forward to him serving as our next AFA President and building upon the long history of success AFA has achieved," said AFA Chairman of the Board, Scott Van Cleef.

As the outgoing Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., Spencer presides over the Air Staff and serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Requirements Oversight Council and Deputy Advisory Working Group.  He assists the Chief of Staff of the Air Force with organizing, training, and equipping of 690,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas.

Spencer is one of the few Air Force officers who began his career in the enlisted ranks and rose to become a four-star general.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering technology from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Spencer was commissioned through Officer Training School in 1980 as a distinguished graduate. He has commanded a squadron, group and wing, and he was Vice Commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center. He was also the first Air Force officer to serve as Assistant Chief of Staff in the White House Military Office. He served as the Comptroller and then Director of Mission Support (A7) at a major command; and held positions within the Air Staff and Secretariat. Prior to his current assignment, the general was Director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

General Spencer replaces General Craig McKinley, USAF (Ret.), who departed earlier this year upon accepting a new position as President of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA).

Spencer will officially begin his role as AFA President later in 2015.

SOURCE Air Force Association