The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Alumni Association recently welcomed eight new members. Each month, another of the new members is featured. This month, meet James Hoffman.

Name: James (Jim) Hoffman

Age: 59

Year of graduation/degree: 1975, Bachelor of Science; 1982, Master of Science

Hometown: Oshkosh

Profession: Principal, retired, Oshkosh North High School

Why were you interested in serving on the Alumni Board?
I am undertaking this position as a way of saying thank you to the University for all that it has done for me and to assist in providing opportunities to alumni with similar goals.

What are you most looking forward to in this role?
My goal is to create an atmosphere where alumni want to come back and become involved in the University. We want them to feel welcome. UW Oshkosh creates life-long learners, and our goal at the Alumni Association is to have alumni return to the University to continue their educational experience.

How did UW Oshkosh help you get where you are today?
I credit my career success to the education I received at UW Oshkosh. Throughout my years in education, I served on various statewide committees and presented at state conferences. I was an active member of the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators. I also was elected Oshkosh Area School District 1996-1997 Administrator of the Year. Without the quality education I received at UW Oshkosh, my career would not have been possible.

Please share a brief description of what you do in your job and how your UW Oshkosh education helped prepare you for it.
I have over 32 years of experience in the field of education and served as a principal 26 of those years. I worked in both large cities and small communities with six years of teaching experience at Menominee Falls East High School and Hillsboro High School.

I was fortunate to have served as principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels, with eight years as elementary principal in Hillsboro, and served the Oshkosh Area School District for 18 years at the elementary, middle and high school levels. I recently retired from Oshkosh North High School.

With the information I received at the university, it helped me throughout my profession as a teacher. My master’s degree prepared me to become a principal; it equipped me for the job and helped me to look at new things within my job experiences.

Do you have any special memories of your time on campus?
I was a veteran when I came back, and most of my memories are of professors that helped me along the way. They helped by way of the information they provided me in how to become a good professional. They also helped me understand that, as a teacher, you are a professional.

Did any of your family members also attend UW Oshkosh?
My brother received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business. My mother attended Oshkosh for a while and then went to Mercy and received her nursing degree. After serving at Mercy and a few other locations, she completed her nursing career at the Health Center at the University. As a student, it was a benefit for me that she was there, and I could periodically stop by the Health Center and say hi.

Related stories:

• Click here for the complete list of board members.
• Click here for Walt Busalacchi’s profile.
• Click here for Linda Bailey Boilini’s profile.
• Click here for Megan Del Debbio’s profile.
• Click here for Tom Rath’s profile.
• Click here for Jonathan Dinse’s profile.
• Click here for Matthew Zimmerman’s profile.
• Click here for Andrew Fisher’s profile.