J.D. Nichols, Chairman
J. D. Nichols is Chairman of NTS Corporation, its subsidiaries and affiliates. He graduated from the University of Louisville School of Law in 1964 and conducted his undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky with a concentration in accounting, marketing, business administration, and finance. Mr. Nichols began his career in construction and real estate development in 1965, and since then has overseen the development of more than 8,000 acres of land and 7,000,000 square feet of office, residential, commercial, and industrial construction, throughout the southeastern United States.
Mr. Nichols is active in many civic and charitable organizations including the University of Louisville, where he served as a member of the Board of Trustees, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, the Board of Overseers, and the University of Louisville Foundation. Reflecting his commitment to quality education in Kentucky, Mr. Nichols served as Chairman of the Kentucky Council on School Performance Standards, which was charged with the responsibility for development of the academic agenda incorporated into the Kentucky Education Reform Act (“KERA”); a program which has been recognized nationally for innovation in education reform. Mr. Nichols also served on the Steering Committee of the Kentucky Education Technology System, which was created by KERA, and charged with development of a statewide computerized information system linking Kentucky’s public schools. He is a past member and chairman of the Council for Education Technology, a past member of both the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and the Partnership for Kentucky Schools, and is a lifetime member of the President’s Society of Bellarmine College.
Mr. Nichols was inducted into the Kentuckiana Business Hall of Fame in 1989, has served on the Governor’s Council on Economic Development, the Board of Directors of both Actors Theater of Louisville and Kentucky Opera, and several other community organizations. He is currently a director and past member of the Executive Committee of Greater Louisville Inc., and is Chairman of the Board of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority. Mr. Nichols was one of the catalysts behind the major expansion of Louisville International Airport and United Parcel Service’s (UPS) decision to remain in Louisville and expand their hub. He was also instrumental in the development of Metropolitan College – a program that pays for college or post-high school technical training when combined with part-time jobs at UPS.