- Experienced American attorney with over 30 years in legal practice
- Best known as the wife of NFL broadcaster Cris Collinsworth
- Raised in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, with strong community roots
- Mother of four accomplished children, including NBC broadcaster Jac Collinsworth
- Active in philanthropy, especially breast cancer support initiatives
- Maintains a private, low-profile lifestyle despite significant public interest
Holly Bankemper is an American attorney who has quietly built a long and respected legal career while maintaining a strong family life. Although widely recognized as the wife of NFL broadcaster Cris Collinsworth, her professional journey stands firmly on its own — marked by consistency, community involvement, and decades of legal experience.
What makes Holly Bankemper’s story worth telling is not public fame, but longevity and balance. In an era where visibility often defines success, she has chosen a different path — one built on steady work, deep community roots, and meaningful contributions both professionally and personally.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Holly Bankemper Collinsworth |
| Date of Birth | December 23, 1963 (commonly reported) |
| Age | 62 (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Fort Thomas, Kentucky, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Attorney / Lawyer |
| Years Active | Since 1988 |
| Education | University of Kentucky; University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D., 1988) |
| Bar Membership | Cincinnati Bar Association |
| Marital Status | Married (since June 3, 1989) |
| Spouse | Cris Collinsworth |
| Children | 4 (Katie, Austin, Ashley, Jac) |
| Net Worth | Estimated around $3 million |
Early Life & Background
Growing Up in Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Holly Bankemper was born and raised in Fort Thomas, a close-knit community in northern Kentucky, situated just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. Known for its strong emphasis on education and civic pride, Fort Thomas proved to be a formative place — one that shaped Holly’s disciplined and grounded personality from an early age. She grew up alongside a brother and sister in a household where her parents, Charlene and John Bankemper, prioritized responsibility and community involvement.
Family and Community Influence
Her upbringing was rooted in service and long-term commitment. These values would later show up not just in her legal career, but in her decades of work supporting local schools and healthcare initiatives. For Holly, community was never an afterthought — it was something she grew up inside of.
Why It Matters
Understanding her roots helps explain her consistent preference for privacy and stability. Those aren’t just personality traits; they’re values she was raised with, and they define her life just as clearly today as they did growing up.
Education
University of Kentucky
Holly attended the University of Kentucky for her undergraduate degree, graduating in 1985. During her time there, she was a cheerleader for the Kentucky Wildcats — a role that reflected her early commitment to team-oriented, disciplined environments. It was a chapter that balanced academics with school spirit, something her children would later mirror in their own collegiate athletic careers.
Law School Journey
From Kentucky, she moved on to the University of Cincinnati College of Law, earning her Juris Doctor in 1988. Interestingly, Cris Collinsworth enrolled in the same program — though he finished his degree in 1991, three years after Holly. Their shared time at Cincinnati Law became the foundation of both their relationship and their mutual respect for the legal profession. Holly, however, was the one who fully committed to practicing — a distinction that says a great deal about her character.
Why It Matters
Her educational path reflects deliberate, purposeful choices made well before marriage or public association played any role. The law career that followed wasn’t incidental — it was the plan all along.
Career Journey
Starting in Law (Late 1980s)
After earning her J.D. in 1988, Holly Bankemper stepped directly into legal practice. Entering a competitive field during a demanding period, she focused on building credibility through client-centered work rather than high-profile cases or media attention.
Building a Long-Term Practice
Over the years, Holly established herself as a reliable general practice attorney. She is affiliated with the Cincinnati Bar Association and has worked primarily out of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, with professional ties that also extend to Longboat Key, Florida. General practice work — covering a broad range of client needs rather than a single specialty — requires adaptability and deep client trust, both of which she has clearly cultivated across more than three decades.
Professional Presence
Unlike many in her position, Holly has never leveraged her husband’s public profile to expand her practice or raise her own visibility. Her legal work has remained quietly local — a deliberate choice that reflects both her priorities and the professional discipline it takes to sustain that kind of career long-term.
Why It Matters
Sustaining a legal practice for 35+ years without institutional backing or public profile is genuinely difficult. It requires consistent reputation, client loyalty, and professional credibility — all built slowly, over time. That’s the kind of career Holly Bankemper has built.
Major Achievements & Contributions
- Maintained a legal career spanning more than 30 years as a licensed attorney
- Member of the Cincinnati Bar Association
- Active board member of the Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund (established 2002)
- Board member of the Fort Thomas Education Foundation
- Named Highlands High School Alumnus of the Year by the Alumni Association in 2019
Her contributions extend well beyond the courtroom. Austin Collinsworth, her son, publicly credited her as the driving force behind rebuilding multiple local schools — including three elementary schools, Highlands Middle School, and Highlands High School. That kind of community impact doesn’t come with a press release; it comes with years of quiet, consistent work.
Why It Matters: These achievements highlight her real-world impact — showing influence that runs far deeper than professional title or public association.
Net Worth
Estimated Wealth
Holly Bankemper’s net worth is estimated at around $3 million, a figure built primarily through her own long-standing legal career — not inherited wealth or her husband’s broadcasting income.
Income Sources
- Decades of private legal practice in Kentucky and Florida
- Long-term client relationships built over a 35+ year career
Financial Context
While the Collinsworth household benefits significantly from Cris’s media career, Holly’s financial standing represents her own independent contribution. She was building that career before she was married, and she has continued it throughout.
Why It Matters: It reinforces her identity as a professional in her own right — not a public figure by association, but someone who built something lasting on her own terms.
Personal Life
Marriage to Cris Collinsworth
Holly met Cris Collinsworth through mutual friends in Cincinnati in the 1980s, at a restaurant called The Precinct — a well-known Cincinnati steakhouse that Cris co-owned at the time. The two later found themselves enrolled at the same law school: the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Their shared academic environment deepened a connection that had started casually over dinner.
Cris proposed in July 1988 — an engagement that came with a story of its own. He had hoped to pop the question live during the MLB All-Star Game at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium, with broadcaster Al Michaels set to mention it on air. The plan fell through — the All-Star Game was too big a stage for such a personal moment, Michaels later recalled. So Cris proposed on a bridge over the Ohio River instead. They married on June 3, 1989.
Family and Children
Together, Holly and Cris have raised four children, each of whom has gone on to notable accomplishments:
- Katie Collinsworth – Marketing professional; worked at Golf Channel’s GolfNow and as a Production Associate for NBC Olympics
- Austin Collinsworth – Played football at Notre Dame; now works in digital media
- Ashley Collinsworth – Competed as a track athlete at Harvard University
- Jac Collinsworth – NBC Sports broadcaster; co-hosts Football Night in America and Peacock Sunday Night Football Final
That four siblings — raised in the same household — each found success in distinctly different arenas speaks to the environment Holly and Cris built at home.
Private Lifestyle
Despite her connection to one of the most recognized voices in NFL broadcasting, Holly avoids social media, rarely makes public appearances, and has never sought media attention. Cris has spoken openly about how much he relies on her stability, once saying she handles everything at home with remarkable ease given how often his work takes him away. Their decision to settle permanently in Fort Thomas was largely driven by Holly’s deep ties to the area — her parents, siblings, and extended family have remained close by throughout their marriage.
Why It Matters: Her personal life reflects a deliberately chosen balance — success in both career and family, without sacrificing the privacy that makes that balance sustainable.
Relationship & Life Timeline
- 1980s: Meets Cris Collinsworth in Cincinnati; both enroll at University of Cincinnati College of Law
- July 1988: Cris proposes on a bridge over the Ohio River; Holly earns her J.D.
- June 3, 1989: Marriage in Cincinnati
- 1990s: Starts family in Fort Thomas; builds legal practice simultaneously
- 2002: The couple establish the Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund
- 2000s–2010s: Drives major school rebuilding projects in Fort Thomas
- 2019: Named Highlands High School Alumnus of the Year
- 2020s–Present: Continues legal practice; remains active in philanthropy and family life
Why It Matters: This timeline provides a clear, sequential view of a life built with intention — something often missing from other profiles of Holly Bankemper.
Also Read: Wendy Etris – Life, Career, and Family Story
Philanthropy and Community Work
ProScan Fund Involvement
In 2002, Holly and Cris co-founded the Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund (CCPSF), a nonprofit focused on breast cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support in the Cincinnati area. Holly serves on the organization’s board of directors, bringing the same steady commitment to the cause that she brings to everything else in her life. The fund has grown into a meaningful regional presence for cancer advocacy.
Education Initiatives
Holly has served on the board of the Fort Thomas Education Foundation and has played a direct role in rebuilding local schools — a contribution her son Austin publicly recognized as something she led personally and tirelessly. For a community that values education as foundationally as Fort Thomas does, her involvement carries real weight.
Why It Matters: Holly’s philanthropic work is not ceremonial. It is hands-on, sustained, and locally rooted — the kind that actually changes things over time.
Latest Updates / Current Status
Professional Life Today
As of 2026, Holly Bankemper is believed to remain connected to the legal field, continuing a practice she has sustained for well over three decades. She maintains a low public profile and has not sought any broader platform.
Current Lifestyle
She resides in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, close to the family and community that have anchored her life. With all four of her children now adults — and some with families of their own — her role has expanded into that of grandmother as well. Her focus remains on family, community, and the philanthropic work she has been part of for years.
Why It Matters: For those curious about where Holly is now, the answer is: exactly where she has always been — grounded, present, and privately thriving.
Lesser-Known Facts
- Both Holly and Cris attended the University of Cincinnati College of Law — law is something they genuinely bonded over
- Cris’s original marriage proposal involved Al Michaels and a live MLB broadcast; it did not go as planned
- She was a cheerleader for the Kentucky Wildcats during her undergraduate years
- Her son Austin publicly credited her as the person who drove the rebuilding of five Fort Thomas schools
- She has been married for over 35 years and avoids social media entirely
- The couple’s choice to live in Fort Thomas was largely Holly’s decision, driven by her family ties to the area
FAQs
Who is Holly Bankemper?
Holly Bankemper is an American attorney based in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. She is best known as the wife of NFL broadcaster Cris Collinsworth, but she has built an independent legal career spanning more than three decades.
How did Holly Bankemper meet Cris Collinsworth?
They were introduced through mutual friends in Cincinnati in the 1980s, initially connecting at The Precinct restaurant, which Cris co-owned. They later both attended the University of Cincinnati College of Law, which deepened their relationship.
When did Holly Bankemper get married?
She married Cris Collinsworth on June 3, 1989, following his proposal the previous year in July 1988.
What does Holly Bankemper do for a living?
She is a practicing general practice attorney, affiliated with the Cincinnati Bar Association, with over 35 years of legal experience primarily in Kentucky.
Where does Holly Bankemper live?
She lives in Fort Thomas, Kentucky — the same community where she grew up — with her family close by.
How many children does she have?
She has four children: Katie, Austin, Ashley, and Jac Collinsworth.
What is Holly Bankemper’s net worth?
Her estimated net worth is around $3 million, earned through her own long-standing legal career.
Is Holly Bankemper still practicing law?
She is believed to remain active in the legal profession, though she continues to maintain a private, low-profile lifestyle.
Conclusion
Holly Bankemper represents a genuinely rare kind of figure in the public imagination — someone defined not by visibility, but by consistency, professionalism, and a clear sense of what matters. With a legal career stretching more than three decades, a family of high achievers she helped raise, and community contributions that quietly changed the landscape of Fort Thomas, she has built a life that speaks for itself.
Her story is a reminder that influence doesn’t always require attention. Sometimes it is built slowly, through steady work, meaningful relationships, and a commitment to the community you call home.
For anyone reading, the takeaway is straightforward: long-term dedication and grounded values don’t just build careers — they build lives worth looking back on.