SUNY Board Executive Committee Approves Monica Rimai as Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer

 

Albany – Upon the recommendation of State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher the SUNY Board of Trustees Executive Committee today approved the appointment of Monica Rimai as senior vice chancellor and chief operating officer.

 

A university leader with 20 years of experience in law and higher education administration, Rimai will be responsible for SUNY’s $10 billion annual all-funds budget in addition to her many other duties.

 

“SUNY is very fortunate to have Monica Rimai join Chancellor’s Zimpher’s leadership team,” said Board Chairman Carl T. Hayden. “A leader and administrator of the highest caliber with extensive experience in public higher education in Ohio and Wisconsin, Monica is ideally qualified to oversee the strategic infrastructure management and operations of the university.  We welcome Monica to New York and look forward to working with her for years to come.”

 

“Monica Rimai is an outstanding lawyer, administrator, leader and strategic thinker,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “Monica’s success in public higher education makes her the best choice to lead SUNY’s complex financial, legal, compliance, regulatory, audit and human resources functions and to participate in our strategic planning efforts. I commend the Board of Trustees for appointing Monica to a position where she can help ensure the success of SUNY faculty, students, staff and the communities our campuses serve.”

 

“The confidence of Chancellor Zimpher and the SUNY Board of Trustees is very gratifying,” said Rimai.  “SUNY confronts great challenges and tremendous opportunity and I look forward to working with Chancellor Zimpher, the Board, campus presidents, the faculty students and staff on our campuses as well as elected officials and friends of the university as we move forward together.”

 

Rimai’s appointment is effective November 1, 2009, or as soon thereafter as practicable.

 

As a member of Chancellor Zimpher’s senior leadership team, Rimai will be responsible for the strategic infrastructure management and operations of the State University. 

 

Her administrative responsibilities will include oversight of the offices of Business Affairs, Human Resources and Labor Relations; Information Technology; Enrollment and Tuition Management, including the Applications Processing Center; Risk Management, including the University Auditor, Controller, Compliance Officer, and University Police; Legal Affairs; Capital Facilities, including on going coordination with the State University Construction Fund; as well as strategic planning, assessment and institutional research.

 

Rimai will play a key role in the SUNY’s multi-year strategic planning initiative and also help to structure the appropriate data gathering and assessment methodologies and staff. 

 

About Monica Rimai

 

Rimai has been serving as interim president of the University of Cincinnati since May 2009 while that university was in the process of searching for a permanent president.  Prior to that position, and also while serving as interim president, Rimai was senior vice president for Administration and Finance with responsibility for oversight and delivery of all administrative infrastructure services at UC including, General Counsel, Board of Trustees Management, Financial Services, including Budget, Bursar, Controller, Debt Management, and Treasurer, Campus Police, Parking Services, Auxiliaries, Endowment Investment, Information Technology, Internal Audit, Human Resources, Planning, Construction Facilities Management. 

 

She also served as a member of the president’s executive leadership team, responsible for crafting and implementing regulatory compliance policy, university fiscal and administrative policy, and planning for the university’s long-term financial health.

 

From 2000–2005, Rimai was at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee serving interim vice chancellor for Administrative Affairs and Chief Legal Counsel and as principle administrative officer with direct oversight and policy responsibility for Legal Affairs, the Departments of Business & Finance, Internal Audit, Facilities Planning, Recreational Facilities, Parking & Transportation, Physical Plant Services, Environmental Health Safety & Risk Management, Campus Police, and Athletics. 

 

Prior to that position, she was director of Legal Affairs and Senior University Counsel, responsible for representing the university in all legal matters, creating, revising and providing counsel on legal policy issues, providing general counsel to senior administration and managing the Office of Legal Affairs.

 

She served from 1994 -2000 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Office of the United States Attorney, Eastern District of Wisconsin.  From 1991-1994 she was an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Milwaukee.  Prior to these positions she worked as an attorney specializing in commercial litigation.

 

Ms. Rimai earned a BA Degree in History and a JD from the University of Michigan.  She is an active member of the State Bar in Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

 

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating some 440,000 students in 7,669 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu 

 

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As a condition of her appointment, Rimai must reside in close proximity to the State University headquarters in Albany. As such, and as prescribed in the SUNY Salary Plan, Rimai has been granted a housing allowance of $5,000 per month.   As senior vice chancellor and chief operating officer, Rimai will earn an annual state salary of $325,000 and will be provided with the use of an automobile from the University vehicle pool.