Chris Ronayne was named President of University Circle Inc. (UCI) in 2005. UCI is the non-profit community service corporation responsible for the development, service, and advocacy of University Circle as a world-class center of innovation in health care, education, and arts and culture and premier urban district. Since becoming UCI’s seventh president, Chris has developed a dynamic agenda to leverage the institutional assets of the Circle’s anchor “Eds, Meds, and Arts” organizations and transform the neighborhood into a complete and mixed-use community. 

Chris and his staff partner with 40 member institutions to oversee the growth and direction of Ohio’s fastest growing employment district, with UCI providing community planning, development, education, marketing, and other shared services.

Before joining UCI, Chris served the City of Cleveland as the City’s Planning Director, Chief Development Officer, and Chief of Staff. He was the Chief Architect of the City’s Waterfront District Plan, an ambitious effort to reconnect the people of Cleveland to Lake Erie. 

In addition to his role with UCI, Ronayne serves on the boards of Destination Cleveland and Notre Dame College. He also Chairs the Holden Parks Trust, an organization investing in Cleveland’s Rockefeller Park;  as well as Canalway Partners, a cultural heritage organization dedicated to historic interpretation and place making in the Cuyahoga River Valley along the historic towpath trail. Ronayne also serves on the Ohio Board of the American Planning Association and is a frequent speaker on urban planning topics throughout U.S. cities. In 2011 Ronayne formed the Anchor District Council which hosts an annual national forum on the subject of leveraging anchor institutions for community benefit.  

 

Chris holds a Masters degree in Urban Planning, Design, and Development from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is married to Natalie Ronayne, Chief Advancement Officer at the Cleveland Metroparks. They live in the City of Cleveland with their two children.