Stone to announce campaign for county executive
State Rep. Jeff Stone (R-Greendale) officially will announce Wednesday that he is a candidate to succeed Scott Walker as Milwaukee County executive.
Stone has scheduled a press conference for 10 a.m. at his campaign headquarters at 8316 W. Bluemound Road in Wauwatosa.
Stone has recruited Ulice Payne Jr., president of Brookfield-based Addison Clifton LLC, to be his campaign treasurer.
Harris is new president of Abri Health Plan
Stephen Harris is the new president of West Allis-based Abri Health Plan.
In his new role, Harris will be responsible for Abri operations, as well as the implementation and execution of various strategic initiatives. Abri currently has 28,000 members enrolled in its health plan.
"I am thrilled to join the team at Abri Health Plan," Harris said. "I am looking forward to bringing my health care industry experience and adding to Abri’s success as we continue to grow and offer our members the highest quality services possible."
Harris most recently served at Molina Healthcare, where he worked on market development and acquisition/integration activities. He also was executive vice president and chief financial officer of United American Healthcare Corp., a Medicaid managed care company, and a manager at Deloitte.
Abri was founded in 2004 and operates in more than 23 counties throughout southeastern and northern Wisconsin. Abri provides health care to Wisconsin residents who are insured through BadgerCare Plus, Medicaid SSI, as well as the childless adult population.
Loftus is new president of Cardinal Stritch
James Loftus, vice president of enrollment management and student services at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, was recently named as the eighth president of Cardinal Stritch University in Fox Point.
Loftus will begin his term in July 2011 and will replace Kent Bergemann, who has served as interim president since January 2010.
David Hawke, chairman of Cardinal Stritch University’s board of trustees, said the board’s vote to select Loftus was unanimous because of his collaborative leadership style, solid experience and lifelong commitment to Catholic education.
The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, founders and sponsors of Stritch, approved the selection shortly after the trustees voted earlier today.
“We are pleased to have Dr. Loftus take the helm at Stritch – he is a dynamic, experienced and highly respected academic leader with a demonstrated commitment to Franciscan values,” Hawke said. “The interview process for this position was extensive and involved meetings and discussions with students, faculty, alumni, administrators, other staff, trustees and the sponsoring congregation of sisters. All of us came away highly impressed with Dr. Loftus’ leadership style, strategic ability, record of building and supporting strong teams and overall approach to the position of University president. He will be an outstanding leader for Stritch.”
After visiting the Stritch campus with his wife, Loftus said, “The sense of community at Stritch was profound – people were kind, courteous and warm, so we had a good feeling about it from the outset. During the interview process, those positive first impressions were underscored by the quality of the faculty and staff, the enthusiasm of the students and the wonderful work that the Sisters are doing and have done for such a long time. Their commitment to the core values of Stritch – as well as their work with not just charity, but also social justice and change – was impressive to all of us. Stritch has a tremendous tradition and legacy that serves all kinds of learners. I am so looking forward to being a part of what is clearly a wonderful academic and social community, and I feel very privileged and excited for this opportunity.”
Loftus has been with St. Ambrose University since 1990.
Franke receives Rotarian Lifetime Achievement Award
Milwaukee community leader Harry Franke recently became the first recipient of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee Lifetime Achievement Award.
The club created the new award to salute members who have demonstrated a lifetime of excellence in leadership and service.
The award honors the significant lifetime achievements of a club member who has made lasting contributions to the culture of the club, the local community and Rotary International. The award recognizes members who exemplify the club’s motto of "Service Above Self," and who have an outstanding impact on the club.
The club cited Franke’s commitment to the club’s mission, his passion for bringing in new members over time and his dedication to service.
Franke has been a member of the club for more than 50 years. Through the years, Franke has served as the club’s president (1974-1975), district governor (1979-1980) and star recruiter, personally bringing in over 100 new members, 30 of whom are still active today.
He practiced law for more than 50 years and remains of counsel to his firm, Cook & Franke.
"Harry has exemplified our motto of ‘Service Above Self’ by reaching out not just to Rotarians, but others in the community through many forms of service. His leadership and caring have been a life-long endeavor, and he has strengthened our club’s ability to make a difference by recruiting many community leaders as members," said club president Joe Caruso.
