Dr. James Votruba, who served as Northern Kentucky University’s president for 15 years, died Tuesday night at his home, surrounded by his loved ones. He was 79.
While he may be most well known because of his tenure at NKU, which stretched from 1997 to 2012, in Northern Kentucky, Votruba has always been known for his leadership, mentorship and kindness.
“Jim pioneered the way on so many fronts for NKU and this community,” said Karen Finan, president and CEO of the OneNKY Alliance. Finan worked with Votruba in many capacities, including as a board member of Educate NKY. “He had a wisdom about him that always balanced the room and steadied all sides so we could have logical discussion and impact could be achieved. He was a beacon, a mentor and a role model for so many and he will be remembered for his incredible contributions to this community.”
Brent Cooper, now president and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, said the whole reason he joined the chamber’s board of directors is because he wanted to hang out with Votruba.
“I always felt like he was one of the smartest people in the room, and he was such a dedicated and kind public servant,” Cooper said.
Current NKU President Cady Short-Thompson sent an email to the NKU community Wednesday morning expressing sadness over the news.
“This message is personally painful as I write from what I still fondly think of as ‘Jim’s office;’ without question, his legacy and impact are enduring on this special place and people,” Short-Thompson said. “Like so many students, regents, faculty, staff, administrators and community members, my life and career have been shaped and positively impacted by his leadership and inimitable communication gifts.”
Votruba, Short-Thompson said, led with energy, vision and an uncanny ability to positively connect with all of his constituents.
“As seemingly everyone’s mentor, Jim was generous in every way,” Short-Thompson said. “Northern Kentucky University is tremendously fortunate that he decided to remain here for decades and build NKU with aplomb.”
One story that OneNKY’s Finan remembered with fondness was when the Life Learning Center chose Votruba as the person they would roast at their annual benefit. Each year, Finan said, someone is chosen to be roasted, but with Votruba, it was like roasting Abraham Lincoln.
“I sat there thinking, how do you roast Abraham Lincoln,” Finan said. “He is so wise and a pillar of the community and it was funny because they did roast him but not like you would roast anybody else.”
It showed her, she said, the genuine respect everyone in this community has for Votruba.
“There is nothing bad to say about him,” she said.
Votruba was recognized as a Great Living Cincinnatian in 2016, and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber wrote a story that credited Votruba with putting NKU on the map.
“Over the course of Dr. Votruba’s NKU presidency, the university became nationally recognized for its efforts to advance regional economic, social, and civic progress through its commitment to community engagement,” the article said. “Dr. Votruba weaved public engagement into the fabric of the university and helped the community understand how to engage productively with the campus.”
After Votruba retired from NKU in the summer of 2012, he remained active in the community, including serving as chair of LINK nky’s editorial board.
“Other folks will be better to remember all the work that Jim did outside of LINK, but the deep affection and respect that I, and the rest of the LINK team, feel for him comes from his direct involvement in our incubation, launch and growth,” wrote LINK nky President and CEO Lacy Starling in a column published Wednesday morning.
What she will miss most about Votruba, she said, is his deep belief in LINK’s mission.
“He never missed an opportunity to tell us how important our work is to NKY, and that it is vital to our shared community,” Starling wrote. “Just a couple of weeks ago, Jim told me he had to step down from our editorial board due to some health issues. I knew this was a decision he did not make lightly, and he said he hoped to return soon. In closing, ever kind and generous, he wrote ‘You and your team are an inspiration in your commitment to this work.'”
Votruba was involved in many other boards and groups over the years, including Educate NKY, the St. Elizabeth Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors for the Ohio National Mutual Holding Company, the Northern Kentucky Kindergarten Readiness Task Force, the Kentucky Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, and many others.
Votruba was NKU’s longest serving president. On NKU’s website, Votruba is credited with creating new colleges, overseeing massive enrollment increases and stepping NKU toward Division I.
“During that time period, NKU became a national leader in what is now known as regional stewardship,” Votruba said when asked by the university about his proudest accomplishments upon his departure, “taking responsibility for advancing not only the dreams of our students, but the dreams of our region and our community.”
