Home » NKU president emeritus to serve as UK’s W. Norris Duvall Leader in Residence

NKU president emeritus to serve as UK’s W. Norris Duvall Leader in Residence

James Votruba
James Votruba

From Feb. 20-23

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 13, 2017) — James Votruba, Northern Kentucky University’s president emeritus, will visit the University of Kentucky campus Feb. 20-23 as this year’s W. Norris Duvall Leader in Residence.

Hosted by the Department of Community and Leadership Development in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and sponsored by the W. Norris Duvall Endowment for Youth Leadership, Ethics and Service, the Leader in Residence program brings to UK nationally- and world-renowned leaders who are known for their ethical style of decision making and for their focus on youth leadership development.

Votruba served as NKU’s president from 1997 to 2012. During his tenure, the university was recognized nationally for having one of the highest performing board of regents in the country, and its successful strategic planning process was highlighted in a Harvard University case study.

He is currently a full-time NKU faculty member teaching in the educational leadership doctoral program where he continues to share his expertise inorganizational leadership, organizational effectiveness and alignment, and public engagement. He has published two books: Becoming an Engaged Campus and Achieving and Sustaining High Performance.

Votruba will confer with students, faculty, administrators and community leaders on topics of effective leadership, organizational change, the costs of leadership and effective town and gown relations and engagement.

He will participate in a public panel discussion, “The University’s Role in Community Progress,” which also will include Angela Baldridge, executive director of the Plantory, Lisa Higgins-Hord, UK assistant vice president for community engagement, and Scott Shapiro, chief innovation officer with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. The free event will take place Feb. 21 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Plantory, 501 W. Sixth St., Suite 250 in Lexington.

A student-led panel discussion, “Leading Change and Effective Activism: Moving Campus Initiatives Forward,” will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 22 in the W. T. Young Library auditorium on UK’s campus. During the discussion, students will be able to talk to Votruba about his experience in working with student initiatives.