Chancellor Zimpher Announces Departure of Senior Vice Chancellor Monica Rimai

Albany – State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today announced the resignation of Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Monica Rimai, who has agreed to take a position at Portland State University, and will begin her duties there in August. Her final day at SUNY will be in July.

“Monica has been a critical part of the groundbreaking work we have done at SUNY over the past two years,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “I wish her well in this new chapter in her career and have nothing but the highest praise for her work and friendship while here at SUNY. Monica embodies the principles we are striving for: professionalism, accountability, and excellence.”

Senior Vice Chancellor Rimai said: “SUNY has the potential to bring positive change to New York, through academic excellence, enhanced research, and as a catalyst to reinvigorate the economy. I am tremendously proud to have been a part of changing the direction of this university to better benefit the state and all New Yorkers. I want to thank Chancellor Zimpher for the opportunity.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees appointed Ms. Rimai on November 1, 2009, and she has been a critical part of SUNY's senior management team under the direction of Chancellor Zimpher. Among the groundbreaking initiatives that SUNY has successfully implemented over the past two years are SUNY's first strategic plan, The Power of SUNY; implementation of the system's first report card; an aggressive legislative agenda; and the successful implementation of programs and policies to increase efficiency and better manage a significant reduction in SUNY's state support over the past four years.

A university leader with 20 years of experience in law and higher education administration, Rimai has been responsible for SUNY’s $10 billion annual all-funds budget, as well as strategic infrastructure management and operations of the University. Prior to her arrival at SUNY, Rimai was 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.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating more than 465,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses with more than 3 million alumni around the globe. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu 

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