Memorandums

President Simpson reflects on SUNY Chancellor John Ryan’s leadership March 7, 2007

Dear Colleagues:

Earlier today, Chancellor John Ryan informed SUNY campus presidents of his plans to step down as Chancellor at the end of May 2007, in order to assume leadership as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Creative Leadership headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Chancellor Ryan has been a truly outstanding leader for SUNY, as well as a very strong advocate for the vision and goals of our own University at Buffalo community. Throughout the past two years of his tenure as Chancellor, and in his previous service to SUNY as President of the Maritime College and as Interim President of the University at Albany, Chancellor Ryan’s leadership has been of tremendous value to the entire SUNY system. Indeed, his long-range plans for SUNY resonate strongly with the goals and strategies UB has defined through UB2020, our vision for achieving sustained academic excellence. Chancellor Ryan has been a staunch supporter of UB’s strategic plan for the future, and his leadership and contributions have been invaluable to helping our university to achieve greater academic quality, access, opportunity, and impact—goals that are central to our vision for UB as well as to Chancellor Ryan’s vision for the broader SUNY community.

As forward-looking institutions of public higher education, UB and SUNY share a commitment to institutional excellence that makes a meaningful difference in the communities we serve—here in New York State and around the world. Chancellor Ryan’s leadership has significantly advanced these goals, and has left SUNY and its campuses very well positioned for the future. As we move forward in pursuit of these goals, his vision for SUNY’s advancement as a leading system of public higher education will have a lasting impact on SUNY and its campuses.

Sincerely, signature
John B. Simpson
President