Bio
James W. Nemitz
President, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
James W. Nemitz, Ph.D., became the seventh president of WVSOM in July 2018. He previously served as vice president for administration and external relations for eight years at WVSOM, where he was responsible for accreditation, institutional effectiveness and assessment, faculty development, the Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH), research and grants, special events, and Audio Visual & Production. In this role he was also involved in governmental relations, strategic planning and policymaking. Dr. Nemitz served as the associate dean for preclinical education from 2004 to 2010, overseeing the first two years of the program.
He is a tenured professor of anatomy with more than 30 years of service at WVSOM.
He previously served as WVSOM’s gross anatomy course coordinator, director of the Office of Rural Recruitment and Retention, faculty representative to the WVSOM Board of Advisors and Board of Governors, and the Higher Education Policy Commission's State Advisory Council of Faculty of West Virginia.
He earned a doctorate degree in anatomy from the Medical College of Virginia and completed postdoctoral fellowships in neuroscience from both the Yale University School of Medicine and the Medical College of Virginia.
Dr. Nemitz completed a Health Policy Fellowship in 2017 through the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
He has served the osteopathic profession nationally through various committees with the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, the American Osteopathic Association and the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. He currently is an accreditation evaluator for the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.
President Nemitz and his wife, Nancy Bulla Nemitz, are a dynamic leadership team for WVSOM.
Nancy has been a church pastor and counselor for more than a decade, but came to that role with 40 years of managerial experience, both in the public and private sectors.
Nancy co-owned the state’s first commercial radio news network, the forerunner of MetroNews. She has been a political reporter and lobbyist in Washington and Charleston, contracted to work for an advertising agency to advise political campaigns, wrote much of two Governors’ State of the State addresses, was one of five initially hired to develop and implement the WV State Lottery law, which included the training and licensing of 2000 retailers within three months. In addition, she wrote and executed lottery drawing rules and regulations, for 25 years served as the agency’s drawing manager and communications officer, and was asked to serve as Interim Deputy Director of Marketing numerous times in her career.
For years, Nancy conducted national TV/radio seminars for the Public Relations Society of America, was asked to do so for Australian diplomats in D.C., and received national and state awards for her work, including television and radio productions of medical, public affairs and political programming. She was asked by her peers in the Capitol Press Corps to moderate gubernatorial, senatorial and attorney general debates, the first female to do so.
Nancy taught communications at what is now WV State University and conducted classes for executives in conflict management and media relations. In addition, she was a four-county State Industrial Development Representative for the West Virginia Development Office, spearheaded the first Statewide Cooperative Workshop, helped negotiate contract disputes, and designed a public/private cooperative between the State and Greenbrier Resort to attract international investments.
WVSOM is indeed fortunate to have Nancy Bulla Nemitz as our First Lady.