Northern Kentucky University is the student-centered and community-driven institution we know and love today largely because of the impact made by President Emeritus James Votruba.
NKU’s fourth and longest-serving president believed in the power of higher education and was a loyal supporter of the university’s continued growth even after his presidency until his death on March 19, 2025, at the age of 79.
Dr. Votruba—known to many simply as Jim—arrived on campus in 1997 and immediately got to work.
And he did it with a smile.
“From the very start, he listened, he learned and he cast a vision for what NKU could become,” says NKU President Cady-Short Thompson, who was in her second year as a faculty member when he arrived. “It was like a light switch went on at the university as Jim helped us to see ourselves and our institution’s value proposition and potential so clearly. And very quickly, we felt excited—his vision elevated us, grew our imagination of what was possible, grew our confidence in ourselves—he pushed us to engage in meaningful, impactful work.”
He quickly determined university priorities and explored new ideas that would benefit as many NKU students as possible.
During the Votruba era, bachelor’s programs enrollment saw a 37 percent increase, and master’s and doctoral programs enrollment grew by 600 percent.
NKU’s footprint expanded with the construction of new facilities, including the Dorothy Westerman Herrmann Science Center, Griffin Hall, the James C. and Rachel M. Votruba Student Union, Truist Arena and Scudamore Field, NKU’s soccer complex.
Dr. Votruba also navigated the university’s athletic program’s transition to Division I.
“He built us from the inside out,” Dr. Short-Thompson says. “He took a young institution full of ambition and a region full of ambition, and he married the two. He prepared generations of leaders and colleagues to lead here and elsewhere. He was the right person at the right time, and his legacy lives on in this university, this region and in all of our people.”
When he wasn’t advancing the lives of NKU students, Dr. Votruba was a family man and friend who thrived on humor.
“I was lucky enough to marry my best friend,” his wife, Rachel Votruba, says. “We used to call him Clark—like Clark Griswold—because on a vacation you never knew what he was going to do, and it was usually Clark Griswold-ish. He was a man of many quirks and idiosyncrasies.”
Many knew him as President Votruba. But to their three children, James, Elizabeth and Emily, he was Dad.
“He taught us to assume positive intent in others, resist judgment and instead listen to their stories, reflect on our privileges and focus on others’ strengths,” says daughter Emily Votruba. “He urged us not to stand on the sidelines criticizing those in the arena. Instead, ‘Roll up your sleeves, and ask how you can help.’ He taught us to follow our hearts, trust our instincts and pursue meaningful work to build fulfilling lives.”
And he was a great friend to those who knew him.
“He was funny but serious. A good listener but sage advice-giver,” says longtime friend Jerry Stonewater. “He was tolerant but knew his limits. He never met a problem he couldn't solve.”
As a leader who experienced constant uphill battles in higher education, he taught his children to focus on making a difference.
“Dad showed us what leadership isn't. It's not about titles. It's about service. It's asking not what can I gain, but what can I give?” Emily says. “Many of our conversations began with him asking, ‘What did you do to make the world a better place today?' It was his way of ensuring that we never lost sight of our purpose.”
A champion of NKU and higher education
Dr. Votruba also ensured that NKU never lost sight of its purpose: the students.
Although he was “everyone’s mentor,” he will be remembered most for the relationships he developed with students—from welcoming new students on move-in day to faithfully cheering on student-athletes at home games. He enjoyed dropping in on classes and attending events on NKU’s campus to see the spirit of the university in action.
To him, being a university president was more than just a title.
“He loved having lunch with the students,” Rachel says. “They were the best. He just fell in love with them, and everything was about the students. It wasn't a job.”
He was always warm and kind. He truly loved NKU, and NKU loved him right back.
For 15 years, Dr. Votruba brought passion, energy and innovation to NKU. During his tenure, he set ambitious goals and led the development of three strategic plans. Through his well-known Votruba-isms and compassionate nature, he fostered an environment where everyone was free to dream with him and have a voice.
“Jim understood higher education and its power so well. He knew that the values and the beauty of education were worth sharing and passing on to future generations,” Dr. Short-Thompson says. “Put simply, Jim Votruba was a force for good. He was a human magnet. People were drawn to him because of his positivity about possibility and potential.”
Dr. Votruba ushered in a period of remarkable change and growth for the university and the region.
He, and NKU, became nationally recognized for community engagement and regional stewardship. This recognition earned him a spot as board chair of the Association of Colleges and Universities from 2004-06.
His commitment to and passion for education were recognized by numerous organizations. He was named the 2000 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year at Michigan State University and became an inaugural member of the Northern Kentucky Business Hall of Fame in 2014. He was the recipient of the 2016 Great Living Cincinnatian Award and became the Duvall Leader in Residence at the University of Kentucky in 2017. In 2013, he was inducted into the David Lee Holt NKU Hall of Fame.
Driving positive change in the community
After his retirement from NKU in summer 2012, Dr. Votruba served as a professor in the educational leadership program on campus and remained actively engaged in the NKU community.
He also served on several boards and councils during his career, including the Bank of Kentucky Board of Directors, the Board for the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, the Campus Compact Board, the Cincinnati Art Museum Board, the Kentucky Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, the Northern Kentucky Kindergarten Readiness Task Force, the Ohio National Mutual Holding Company, the Taft Museum Board and Vision 2015.
Most notably, he joined the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Board of Trustees in 2012.
“More than just a leader, Jim was a mentor to many of us—especially me,” says Garren Colvin, president and CEO of St. Elizabeth Healthcare. “I often say that I am the leader I am because of Jim. He and I would talk for hours and hours about hospital strategy, community engagement, life, family and everything in between.”
During his three years as board chair, Dr. Votruba encouraged Colvin to extend St. Elizabeth’s reach beyond just the hospital, which launched an initiative among employees to dedicate personal time to local schools and nonprofit organizations. He also oversaw the opening of St. Elizabeth’s Heart and Vascular Institute and the St. Elizabeth Training and Education Center.
Recently, he played a pivotal role in establishing the University of Kentucky College of Medicine-Northern Kentucky campus, a four-year medical program in Highland Heights that recruits future physicians from NKU’s backyard.
“Jim combined his talents as an educator and a university administrator with his philanthropic work to create a better northern Kentucky by helping pave the way for more of the brightest young stars to live out their dreams and becoming doctors in Kentucky,” Colvin says. “His passion for excellence in service touched our entire community and beyond, and his legacy will continue to inspire us all. His positive influence on St. Elizabeth and the entire northern Kentucky community is undeniable.”
Despite a long battle with cancer, Dr. Votruba was committed to higher education and community engagement until the end of his life.
The NKU community joined the Votruba family on March 26, what would have been his 80th birthday, for a memorial service to celebrate his legacy.
His leadership at NKU and in the region will impact future generations of NKU students for decades to come.
“His legacy extends far beyond building names in his honor,” Emily says. “It lives in the countless lives he touched—in students who found their purpose, inspired to greater service and a community that learned to dream bigger. And it lives in us through the values he instilled and the example he set.”
Editor, NKU in View
Assistant Director, University Communications
