Chris Ronayne
Chris Ronayne (born 1968) is a current candidate for Cuyahoga County Executive. He is the former President of University Circle Inc. (2005 - 2021) in Cleveland, Ohio, a community development corporation responsible for the growth of the University Circle, Ohio's fourth largest job hub, with a focus on health care, education, and arts & culture. Personal life. Ronayne 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 the Maxine Goodman Levin College of  Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University where he presently serves on the university visiting committee for the Levin College. He is married to Natalie Ronayne, Chief Development Officer of the Cleveland Metroparks. They live in Cleveland's Cudell-Edgewater neighborhood. Career. Career Overview. Chris Ronayne began his career in public service in 1996 with the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission where he developed community reinvestment plans with municipalities across Cuyahoga County. 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. Ronayne has partnered on the development of more than 2,500 units of housing, $300 million in transportation improvements, and over $6 billion of community redevelopment throughout the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. He has led initiatives ranging from the Cleveland Lakefront Plan to the  Euclid Corridor and has partnered with local agencies on innovative projects like the Towpath Trail and the Cleveland- Europe Express container service through the Port of Cleveland. University Circle Inc.. At University Circle Inc. Ronayne managed the day-to-day operations of the community service corporation managing its development, service, safety, and advocacy efforts. He is a recipient of the Medical Mutual Smart Business Pillar Award for Executive Director of the Year and the Walter F. Ehrnfelt, Jr. Award for Outstanding Regional Contribution from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). During his tenure, UCI engaged with 15,000+ students  each year through education programs and launched the new YAY! Saturdays arts and education summer series and Circle Scholars, an after-school program for 7th and 8th graders in nearby neighborhoods; completed a successful place management campaign that brought clean and safe ambassadors, new public art, and wayfinding maps and signage to the neighborhood; launched the NextStep business education program that has graduated 60 small businesses owners; created the uGO transportation management system to ease congestion and increase safety for residents, visitors, and workers; grew the WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays summer concert series into a signature regional event with over  60,000 attendees each summer; partnered in the construction or renovation of more than 2,300 new housing units; oversaw over $3 billion in new construction and development throughout the neighborhood; and saw the district transform into a 24/7/365 active and vibrant community.