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.
