James Loftus is a White Sox fan from Iowa, but that won't stop him from moving to Wisconsin to take on the job as president of Cardinal Stritch University.

"We're real excited," Loftus said. "It's an honor and a privilege."

Loftus has served as vice president of student enrollment and affairs at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA, for nearly 12 years. Before joining St. Ambrose, he worked in continuing education and advising adult learners.

Originally from the western suburbs of Chicago, Loftus met his wife, Irene, during his days at the University of Notre Dame. Her influence led them to Iowa.

"I got to Iowa by way of my lovely bride," he said.

As they were finishing up graduate school and began having a family, Loftus agreed Iowa would be the best place to raise their children. The couple have four daughters, Claire, Bridget, Kathleen and Molly.

The youngest, Molly, will move with her parents to Wisconsin and finish high school here. Loftus said they have yet to decide on a school. While the move will be hard for Molly, Loftus said he has faith in her.

"It's hard for her to say goodbye to Davenport and her friends here," Loftus said, "but she's very comfortable at saying hello."

Loftus said one his goals for Stritch is to get the word out about how great the school is.

"There's a lot of uniqueness about it," Loftus said. "This upcoming 75^th year celebration will really give us a chance to show off the wonderful academic and community life that go on there."

When asked about his favorite characteristic of Wisconsinites, Loftus cited their sense of community and how much people matter.

"Folks just want us to get off to the right start," he said. "They've made great suggestions and embraced us as new to the community."

Loftus and his wife have made several trips to Milwaukee in the last few months, and recently were introduced to the downtown area.

"I'm looking forward to really seeing what's out there," he said.

Along with his excitement for Stritch, Loftus is excited Wisconsin sports. He says he might even stray from his White Sox roots and check out some Wisconsin teams.

"The entire family are sports fans, but we'll definitely hit Miller Park and watch the Bucks play," Loftus said. "I may even work up the energy to go to a Packers game."