James M. ‘Jim’ Holland, longtime VCU accounting instructor and Chesterfield County leader, dies at 73

By Megan Nash
School of Business

James M. “Jim” Holland, a certified public accountant, public servant, Army veteran and instructor whose decades of service helped shape Chesterfield County and generations of students at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business, died Oct. 14 at age 73.

Holland served as an instructor of accounting and CPA advisor at the School of Business for 24 years, teaching more than 200 classes and thousands of students while also running his own firm, Holland & Co. CPA, in Chesterfield.

“He strongly believed that accounting was a tool that could be used to make a difference and change lives,” said Alisa Brink, Ph.D., KPMG Teaching Excellence Professor and chair of the Department of Accounting, who worked with Holland for 17 years. “He encouraged students to embrace learning ‘the language of business’ through accounting so they could improve their own lives and make a difference in their community. He wanted each and every one of them to persevere and succeed.”

A longtime community leader, Holland represented the Dale District on the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors beginning in 2008, serving multiple terms as chair and vice chair and representing the county on regional bodies including Richmond Region Tourism and the Capital Region Workforce Partnership.

Born in Gates, North Carolina, Holland earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Fayetteville State University in 1979 and an M.B.A. from North Carolina Central University in 1980. He volunteered for military service during the Vietnam War era and served with the 18th Airborne Corps as a paratrooper and military police officer at Fort Bragg. He later worked for Philip Morris USA International before opening his CPA practice.

At VCU, Holland taught to a high standard and offered guidance for students pursuing the CPA, drawing on his experience in practice and public finance.

“Jim was the bridge between accounting in the 20th and 21st centuries,” said Jon B. Hill, professional faculty and Beta Alpha Psi faculty advisor. “His deep understanding of accounting principles and culture, [and] his remarkable ability to make concepts like debits and credits come alive, gave his students a true appreciation for the discipline. Jim’s legacy lies in how he connected generations of students to both the rigor and the humanity of the profession.” 

In a welcome video to students filmed a few years ago, Holland said that, at VCU, all things are possible.

“I always have said to my accounting class here at VCU, you just know that this class will change you forever. You will never be the same,” he said. “All you have to do is have that passion, that desire to learn to be the best you can be. To be what a Ram ought to be: passionate, hardworking and enjoying the experience here at VCU.”  

After his death, former students took to Instagram to share their appreciation.

“Jim made non-accounting people enjoy accounting in such a unique way,” one wrote. “I’ll always remember how confident he made myself and others feel in the subject.” Another wrote: “His kindness and enthusiasm made accounting one of my favorite courses.” A third added that in just one semester, Holland had shared life lessons that haven’t been forgotten.

Holland’s public appointments included service on the Virginia Board of Accountancy and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy’s ethics committee, along with earlier roles on the Virginia Public School Authority and numerous regional commissions.

In early 2025, the Chester Family YMCA presented Holland with its Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Service Leadership Award, an honor recognized publicly by the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors.

Holland often said his public service was guided by faith, family and community. In a farewell letter to Dale District residents days before his passing, he wrote that his “journey as a public servant has been guided by my faith, my love for people and my desire to leave things better than I found them.” He thanked his wife of 52 years, Judith, calling her his “rock and constant source of strength” and “the First Lady of the Dale District.”

During his tenure, Holland backed investments in schools, libraries and economic development, and he was closely identified with projects in and around the Dale District, including the rebuilding of Beulah Elementary and Falling Creek Middle schools, as well as the renovation of Central Library and the Beulah Recreation Center — renamed the James M. Holland Recreation Complex this past May.

Holland was also active at First Baptist Church Centralia as a deacon and Sunday school teacher, and he served in numerous civic and professional organizations throughout his career.

He is survived by his wife and their adult children.