Cece Haas: Facilitating Einstein's Mission

Honored this summer as one of the Bronx Times Reporter’s “25 Influential Women in the Bronx,” Einstein’s Cece Haas has spent her career bettering Einstein and its neighboring community.

Cece HaasIn her role as assistant director of facilities planning at Einstein, Ms. Haas manages a variety of responsibilities. Her team is a resource to the office of the dean, keeping inventory of every space and renovation.

Since joining facilities management, Ms. Haas has participated in numerous major projects of benefit to Einstein, including the construction of the Falk, Golding, Gruss and Price buildings. She also was a team member involved in securing a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health supporting the renovation of stem cell laboratories in Chanin and Ullmann, and in securing grant funds from New York City to renovate spaces within Van Etten that have allowed Einstein’s Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC) programs to be consolidated under one roof—providing for seamless delivery of clinical care to the center’s young clients.

Ms. Haas also was among a team of Einstein staff and faculty that toured clinical skills training facilities at other Eastern seaboard medical schools, to ensure that Einstein’s new facility would meet the needs of its students. “Being able to take part in projects like these has truly given a sense of purpose to what I do at Einstein,” she said.

She also handles the concerns at Einstein and those of its neighbors. She’s dealt with everything from protecting research materials from fire damage and noisy renovations to yogurt that’s gone bad. No concern is too small for Ms. Haas.

Giving Above and Beyond

“Cece isn’t just dedicated to Einstein. She contributes to the entire Bronx community,” added Salvatore Ciampo, senior director of facilities management.

Her connection to Einstein goes beyond job devotion to include the larger Einstein community and its neighbors. She is the current chair of the quality of life committee at Einstein. She also heads up a toy drive sponsored by facilities management that benefits children who receive services at CERC. Taking part in CERC’s holiday party, she is famous for dressing up as a Christmas tree. And, on behalf of the school, she has served as an appointed member on the Community Advisory Council and on Community Board 11 (CB11). She continues to sit on several CB11 committeesin an ad hoc capacity.

In roles that extend beyond Einstein, Ms. Haas is involved in numerous facilities management associations, having earned facility manager certification from the International Facilities Management Association. She has also volunteered with private and public groups and has informally mentored scores of individuals.

A Bronx native, Ms. Haas grew up near Westchester Square and job hunted for an opportunity close by. “The day I was hired, I just stopped in by chance,” said Ms. Haas. That was in 1970. Ms. Haas has grown with Einstein over a career of nearly 45 years.

Taking on New Challenges

Cece in her Christmas tree outfit, which delights children every year at the CERC holiday partyStarting as a secretary for Dr. Dominick Purpura in the department of neuroscience, Ms. Haas transitioned to an administrative position in nephrology in 1979. When she decided to pursue higher education, Einstein’s tuition reimbursement program offered her the opportunity and flexibility to juggle working full-time with raising her daughter and getting a college degree.

She remains a strong advocate for the program. “I encourage our engineering staff to take advantage of it. Everybody benefits,” she said.  After earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees through the program, she poured her education back into the school.

The 1980s were a boundless time for Einstein and Ms. Haas. As the medical school expanded and took on new affiliations, she joined the department of facilities management, commencing a 31-year relationship with Einstein’s administration and campus infrastructure.

Focused Dedication

Ms. Haas is known for doing whatever it takes to get a job done. “I’m the kind of person that's going to stay all night if I have to. It’s just the way I am,” she said.

“Cece is one of the most reliable people I’ve ever worked with,” said Mr. Ciampo. “She’s a tremendous asset to our department and to the institution.”

“I first appreciated Cece's special qualities when she took on an assistantship in my work as editor of Brain Research,” seconded her first boss, Dr. Purpura, with whom she remains close this day. “She took on a complex task while also contributing to the Kennedy Center's activities. Her organizational skills were clearly apparent at that early stage of her career.”

A Workplace That Means Family

To Ms. Haas, the College of Medicine is family. Having been involved in planning Einstein’s 50th anniversary party held nearly a decade ago, she recalled, “It was just like your daughter’s wedding.”

Her sunlit office in the basement of the Golding building is tidily organized, full of Einstein records, photographs and carefully filed notes from community board meetings going back years.

“I went to all the meetings and I’d often end up being the secretary of a committee because I had that skill,” she said with a modest shrug.

Looking back on her life Ms. Haas recalls that she always wanted to be helpful. “Being honored by the Bronx Times Reporter helped me to see that I’ve been able to do just that right here at Einstein. And it feels great.”