SUNY vice chancellor headed to Portland State

ALBANY -- The State University of New York's chief operating officer, who arrived less than two years ago, is leaving in July for Portland State University in Oregon.

Monica Rimai, who also serves as senior vice chancellor, was recruited by Chancellor Nancy Zimpher shortly after Zimpher came to SUNY from the University of Cincinnati, where Rimai also had worked.

Rimai will be the vice president of finance and administration at Portland State. She was hired after being contacted by a consulting firm and starts her new job in August.

"Monica has been a critical part of the groundbreaking work we have done at SUNY over the past two years," Zimpher said in a statement late last week.

"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," Zimpher said.

When Zimpher left as president of the University of Cincinnati for SUNY's chancellorship, Rimai served as interim president there. Rimai earlier performed high-level administrative work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 2000 to 2005. Zimpher served as its president from 1998 to 2003.

Last fall, following a Times Union report that Zimpher had given $30,000 raises to three top employees, Rimai gave up her $60,000 housing allowance, which was on top of her $325,000 salary.

Zimpher also gave up her $90,000 housing stipend to keep the three raises intact.

-- Albany Times Union