Campus News

Juniata College President to Serve on NCAA's Highest Governance Body

(Posted November 4, 2024)

Share this article:

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - The NCAA Division III Presidents Council elected Juniata College President James A. Troha to serve on the NCAA Board of Governors, which is the highest governing body of the NCAA. Troha, whose two-year term will begin January 2025, will serve as one of the nine voting members on the board. 

“I am proud to represent NCAA Division III and serve our student-athletes to ensure they have a meaningful and memorable collegiate experience,” said Troha. “I look forward to engaging in dialogue and developing solutions with the board of governors to sustain intercollegiate athletics for the future.”  

Troha is currently serving as chair of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council. Troha will serve concurrently on the NCAA Board of Governors and the Division III Presidents Council. He begins his second term as chair of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council in January 2025. The 18 members of the Division III Presidents Council helps establish strategic direction, manage general policy for Division III, and approve the use of division funds.  

“Over the past several years, I have watched President Troha serve the Division III membership as a member of multiple committees – chair of Strategic Planning and Finance, Presidents Council as the vice-chair, and currently as the council’s chair as well as the Administrative Committee. He is committed to finding solutions to better the Division III student-athlete experience, and we are fortunate that he will represent the division on the NCAA Board of Governors as he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge,” said Louise McCleary, vice president of Division III for NCAA. 

Other previous roles held by Troha within the NCAA include the Division III Presidents Council vice chair, member of the NCAA Board of Governor’s Finance and Audit Committee, and chair of the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee. Juniata College is a member of the NCAA Division III Landmark Conference, where Troha previously served as chair.  

“President Troha’s appointment and selection to the NCAA Board of Governors is exciting and well deserved. He has a tremendous enthusiasm for athletics and the student-athlete experience. Division III will have another champion in our corner as the NCAA and college athletics enters uncharted territory over the next few years. I can’t think of a better advocate to represent us at the highest level,” said Nikki Ayers ’06, director of athletics at Juniata College. 

Troha has led Juniata College, a national liberal arts college enrolling about 1,300 undergraduates, since 2013. Under his leadership, Juniata successfully completed the largest comprehensive campaign in its history, grown new undergraduate and graduate programs, founded a nationally ranked mock trial team, expanded its athletic programs, constructed or renovated numerous campus facilities, and engaged in national conversations about higher education.  In 2023, Troha was named to the 2023 Higher Education Power 100 for Pennsylvania by City & State PA, a list that recognizes the state's top education leaders. 

During his presidency, Troha has aligned Juniata with national organizations that reflect the College’s values. Juniata College is a member of the American Talent Initiative and the Pennsylvania Consortium for the Liberal Arts (PCLA). The College is also a member of the Council of Independent Colleges, where Troha currently serves on the board; National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, where Troha recently served as a board member; and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, where Troha previously served as chair of the board.  

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Troha holds a doctorate in educational policy and leadership from the University of Kansas. He also has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in counseling from Edinboro University, in Edinboro, Pa. 

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.