Chris Ronayne
Chris Ronayne (born 1968) is the President of University Circle Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio, a community development corporation responsible for the growth of the University Circle with a focus on health care, education, and arts & culture. As of June 2010, he is a candidate for Cuyahoga County Council.
Ronanye was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Bay High School in Bay Village, Ohio and earned his bachelor's degree at the Miami University School of Business Administration and a Masters of Urban Planning from Cleveland State University where he presently serves on the university visiting committee for the Levin College of Urban Affairs. He is married to Natalie Ronayne, director of the Cleveland Botanical Garden. They live in Cleveland's Cudell-Edgewater neighborhood.
Ronanye was the campaign manager for Jane L. Campbell's successful bid to become the mayor of Cleveland in 2001. He served as Cleveland's Planning Director, Chief Development Officer, and Chief of Staff, where he led numerous revitalization projects, including the Avenue District, the Flats East Bank, Battery Park, and Steelyard Commons. He was the chief architect of the City’s Waterfront District Plan expected to transform eight miles of Cleveland shore with larger beaches, new marinas, housing, retail businesses, and offices.
Recipient of the 2006 Smart Business Pillar Award for Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year, Ronayne was named to Crain's Cleveland Business 40 under 40. Recipient of the Dean's Distinguished Alumni Award for the Cleveland State University College of Urban Affairs and the Ohio American Institute of Architects award for the Cleveland Waterfront District Plan. He is a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2007.
External links
- Official website
- Cleveland Magazine, February 2008 Profile of Ronayne, titled "Planning Ambition" by Andy Netzel
- The Plain Dealer, January 19, 2007. Love grows in Cleveland by Sarah Crump
- Chris Ronayne Biography at CSU
- WCPN Leveraging Lake Erie - Chris Ronayne Interview