For nearly twenty years, Robert and Renee Greening have lived between two worlds.
Spartans from Michigan who built their lives in Toronto, they arrived in Canada in 2008 when Robert was recruited to the executive leadership team at TJX Canada — the corporate home of retailers Winners, HomeSense and Marshalls.
The move was deeply personal for their family. The Greenings both trace their ancestry to Canada, with recent generations rooted across Michigan and the Midwest.
“Toronto is a great city,” says Renee. “Having grown up in Michigan, it really felt like coming home. It was a natural fit.”
Robert cuts in, not eager to interrupt, but with a quip — and a bit of history — to share. He spent much of his storied business career with Neiman Marcus, first in Dallas and then Chicago. When asked to return to Dallas, he stepped away.
“As a Midwesterner, my joke is that Dallas is the only foreign country I’ve ever lived in,” Robert says. “We really wanted to continue to live our lives in the Great Lakes region. So, we pivoted. When I was recruited by TJX, they asked if we would be open to London or Toronto. We were certainly open to Toronto.”
So, they moved to Ontario, built a life, and raised their children there, all becoming dual citizens in time. Together they have spent years navigating and embodying the cultural, economic and personal connections that bind the U.S. and Canada together.
Now they're helping strengthen those bonds and advance the mission of international partnership by creating a generous named endowment for the Canadian Studies Center (CSC) at Michigan State University.
Where it started
Robert traces his Canadian heritage back centuries. His grandfather was professional hockey forward Desmond (Des) Roche, who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings. Robert’s mother was born in Quebec, and the family often vacationed on the lakes north of Toronto.
He came to MSU to study orthodontics but switched to business early on, graduating in 1981 with a marketing degree from the Eli Broad College of Business. Renee’s patrilineal line also connects to Quebec, with her grandfather born in Trois-Pistoles. The youngest of 11 children, Renee designed to become a teacher before switching to merchandising management in the College of Human Ecology and graduating in 1982.
Both worked their way through college and felt fortunate to attend MSU. Renee worked as a resident assistant and at Hudson’s to help pay expenses. Robert balanced classes with a job at Playmakers, building on earlier retail experience in high school that sparked his interest in the product side of business.
Those formative years helped shape their values around hard work and humility.
“We were fortunate,” Robert says. “We both had to put ourselves through school, but there were grants available, college was a lot less expensive, and we’re grateful we were able to get through it. It’s a lot harder now.”
Despite their overlap at MSU and growing up just 20 minutes apart in suburban Detroit, Robert and Renee didn’t meet until being connected by a mutual acquaintance in Minneapolis, where both had serendipitously landed early in their careers.
“When we met, his mother said, ‘For God’s sake, you had to move to Minneapolis to meet the girl next door,’” Renee jokes.
Robert’s career carried them across North America, culminating in his role as president of TJX Canada, where he oversaw more than 40,000 associates. Along the way, he became known for leadership rooted in Midwest values and centered on authenticity and kindness. A believer in lifelong learning and self-development, some of his most important lessons came later.
“Authenticity is one of the best characteristics of leaders. I also learned later in my career that vulnerability is another way to be authentic. And it’s not a weakness; it can be a strength,” Robert says. “Being a leader is getting people to follow you, and being authentic is a key component of that. I hope that people saw me as real and approachable.”
As retirement approached, he found himself reflecting on the people and the organizations that influenced his life and career. The Greenings had never left MSU behind. They’ve stayed connected as part of the Toronto Spartans alumni club, providing positive interactions with university leaders that opened their eyes to new opportunities.
One of those discoveries was the Canadian Studies Center.
“The more we learned about the program, the more we admired the work that they’re doing,” Renee says. “It’s impressive, and incredibly unique.”
The impact of the CSC
The CSC is the longest-serving Canadian studies center in the country. It was founded in 1958 at the behest of former MSU president John Hannah. Its mission is to strengthen the relationship between Canada and the U.S. by connecting students, scholars and communities across borders.
Through research partnerships, educational exchanges and public outreach, the center serves as a hub for collaboration between MSU and institutions across Canada. Spartan faculty co-publish with Canadian scholars more than any other country except China, and Canada is the top destination for faculty and staff work-related travel.
"Canada is a critical partner to Michigan. Probably the most important partner out of any country in the world," says CSC Director Rebecca Malouin. "Many of our students come from Michigan and they stay in Michigan, so it’s important that they understand the cultural, economic and geographic importance of Canada to Michigan.”
For MSU engineering professor Carl Boehlert, the CSC has helped fuel a decade of collaboration with researchers at Laval University in Quebec. Together, their work focuses on advanced metallic materials, studying their structures at the microscopic level to better understand how processing affects performance, particularly for use in biodegradable medical implants.
Boehlert and his Canadian colleagues have co-authored publications, exchanged research visits and created opportunities for graduate students on both sides of the border.
"I wouldn't be able to meet as many people at Laval and in Quebec if it weren’t for the Canadian Studies Center,” says Boehlert. “It helps tremendously to connect in person instead of through Zoom or email.”
Forestry professor Emily Silver credits the CSC with helping establish research and teaching partnerships with Canadian universities and natural resource agencies, leading to new funding opportunities, graduate student support and classroom experiences for Spartans.
"Forests don't care about geopolitical boundaries," Silver says. "Our Canadian Studies Center has helped me navigate across cultures and institutions to better understand and serve North American forests and the people that manage them."
In the Broad College of Business, supply chain management professor Jason Miller has partnered with the CSC to engage policymakers and examine evolving trade and economic challenges between Michigan and Canada.
"Canada-MSU partnerships are critical given the high degree of integration between our economies," Miller says.
In all, the center is composed of over 120 core faculty from nearly every college on campus who conduct research across Canada.
Students are a central part of the center's mission as well, including a recent project that paired MSU students with peers in Toronto to create art, and internship opportunities at the Consulate General of Canada in Detroit.
That ability to bring together people and ideas from diverse fields is precisely what resonated with the Greenings.
“The U.S.-Canadian relationship is enduring,” says Robert. “There’s a special bond between the two countries, and we straddle them, so we have a deep appreciation for it.”
A shared journey
The Greenings’ endowment is named for Renee. Robert wouldn’t have it any other way. Officially, it’s called the Renee DuFour Greening Endowed Fund for Canadian Studies. That decision was super simple, Robert says.
The gift honors the partnership that helped guide their family through decades of transitions between different cities, states and countries. As Robert's responsibilities grew, he often found himself in the spotlight, a role he admits he wasn’t always comfortable with. Renee was the steady force behind it all.
"I got a lot of attention over the years," Robert says. "None of it would have been possible without Renee’s support. When I became president and told Renee, she said that she received a promotion, too. She said, what a coincidence, because she just became chairman of the board of our house.”
The joke is still one of their favorites, adding levity to the genuine affection of the moment.
“I just thought it was so special. I’m actually tearing up. It was really nice,” Renee says. “Just the fact that we’re able to give back now is so incredibly meaningful. This is lovely because it ties in so much history for both of us.”
The endowment is only part of the way the Greenings are giving back. Robert will serve on the CSC’s external advisory council, bringing his expertise to provide mentorship and help guide the center’s strategic direction.
“Robert and Renee are the epitome of Spartans,” says Malouin. “They’re so easy to talk to, so open to collaboration, and so successful and brilliant in their own right. We couldn’t be happier to have this gift from them and to be able to honor them with the work that we’re doing.”
The support from the Greenings will open greater opportunities for students and faculty for years to come, creating the same kind of experiences and international connections that shaped their own lives. For a couple whose story has unfolded between two worlds, it’s a fitting legacy.
LEARN MORE about supporting the Canadian Studies Center by contacting Mike Lindhout, Senior Director of International Advancement, at lindhou7@msu.edu or (517) 355-2350.