After accomplishing what President Edward M. Hundert calls a "decade's worth of work" in just over two years at CWRU, Rhonda Gross, executive vice president and chief operating officer, will leave the University June 30.

"While I have truly valued working with the fantastic people at CWRU and have been challenged and invigorated by the significant projects that have been accomplished during the last two years," Gross said in a statement. "The combination of my commuting between Pittsburgh and Cleveland on weekends and the lack of external volunteer and social activities in Cleveland has made the balance between my personal and professional life difficult."

She has decided to return to her home in Pittsburgh.

"CWRU has a much stronger foundation laid to achieving national leadership thanks to Rhonda Gross," Hundert said, "but as a psychiatrist, how can I not support someone who wants to stop commuting on weekends and 'get a life' back!"

Among other contributions, Gross has helped CWRU forge a 50-year partnership agreement with University Hospitals of Cleveland, create the "New CWRU" student life facilities planning process and start to implement the first phase of the new campus master plan.

"While there are numerous accomplishments I could highlight, I must say that I cannot even imagine having achieved our partnership agreement with University Hospitals without Rhonda Gross," Hundert said. "There were literally thousands of hours put in by Rhonda's team-all done in concert with UHC's parallel team-in developing the financial model that was so crucial to turning what had been a negotiation into a joint strategic planning process.

"That task probably best exemplifies the way Rhonda's unique approach brings together a deep understanding of financial, legal, regulatory and strategic issues with a capacity to bring large teams of people together to work on achieving a single vision," the president added.

Gross has been involved in numerous projects to develop campus facilities. As part of the agreement with the University Hospitals Health System, CWRU and UHC have created the Case Research Institute and will build the new Wolstein Research Building.

In addition to the main campus master plan, the University has initiated landscape and utility infrastructure plans. A new program for a campus center, additional dining options and more late-night activities are in the works as a result of the New CWRU initiative. With Gross's guidance, the University has started to plan for the rebuilding of Greek housing; developed a plan for redeveloping the West Quad, on which construction will begin this spring; and commissioned, with University Circle Inc., a master plan for the Ford/Euclid/Mayfield corners.

"I am very proud of the changes that have occurred at Case Western Reserve University during the last two years," Gross said. "Many of these changes are as a result of the hard work and dedication of the University's excellent administrators and staff. I have been blessed to work with some of the finest people in all of higher education."

On the financial side, under Gross's leadership the University completed a debt capacity study and issued $100 million tax-exempt debt financing while maintaining its AA+/Aa2 bond ratings from Standard and Poor's and Moody's. CWRU also has started a Long Term Equity Pool to invest unspent funds in the endowment to achieve a greater return and created the Case Venture Fund to preseed CWRU spin-off businesses and advance the commercialization of the University's intellectual property.

Gross helped to revise the University's budget process and implement its first capital budgeting process. She also was instrumental in reorganizing the internal audit function and completing a strategic risk assessment. She has contributed to advancements in information technology services, fringe benefits programs, campus food services and purchasing activities. Just last month, the University rolled out an e-payment program.

"Case is a wonderful place with wonderful people who care deeply about the institution," Gross said. "In four months, I will be leaving a place where I have grown both as a person and as an executive. I will truly miss Case."

"We will, of course, have many opportunities to celebrate Rhonda's contributions to Case Western Reserve University, which will continue over the months ahead," Hundert said. "But I just want to thank Rhonda formally . . . for her remarkable dedication and professionalism. Rhonda is someone from whom I have learned and continue to learn much. She is one of the most talented, passionate, hard working and dedicated people I have ever met.

"She is a great believer in our vision to create the world's most powerful learning environment," he continued. "We all look forward to continuing to work with Rhonda over the months ahead toward making that vision a reality, but come the summer, she will be missed (by us, but no longer by her husband)!"