Tony Gherardini has been appointed as the new vice president and chief human resources officer for the University of Colorado (CU) system. He is scheduled to begin his role on April 13, 2026.
Gherardini comes to CU after serving as executive director of the Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration, where he led an agency of 500 employees with a $450 million budget. In that position, he managed the statewide personnel system supporting over 30,000 state government workers. His responsibilities included overseeing human resources strategy, classification and compensation, labor relations, workforce planning, benefits administration, payroll, and employee development.
“We are thrilled Tony is joining our team,” said CU President Todd Saliman. “He has a long track record as a public servant, deep expertise and has demonstrated that he is a thoughtful leader. And the added bonus, that he is a CU Denver alumnus, make him the perfect fit for our team in the CU system office. Tony is taking on a critical role and I have no doubt that his skill set makes him perfect for the university.”
During his tenure at the Department of Personnel & Administration, Gherardini oversaw the rollout of a skills-based hiring system intended to modernize recruitment practices across Colorado’s state government. This initiative aimed to expand access to qualified candidates by emphasizing practical skills over traditional credentials.
Gherardini’s career also includes time as chief operations officer for the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health and service as director of state operations and cabinet affairs in the Governor’s Office. In these roles, he was responsible for administrative management and performance oversight across multiple state agencies.
Before entering state government service, Gherardini worked with the Lakewood Police Department for seven years—two as a detective focusing on crimes against children—and served in the Colorado Army National Guard from 2004 until 2017. He is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.
“Tony has spent his career serving others, from his time in the military to his service in state government,” said Gov. Jared Polis. “His leadership at the Department of Personnel & Administration will be very missed, but we wish him all the best in this next chapter. During his time at DPA, Colorado has made important progress on skills-based hiring, strengthening our state workforce, expanding our electric vehicle fleet and more.”
Gherardini holds a master’s degree in public administration from CU Denver and returns to work at his alma mater after more than twenty years in public service.
“After more than 20 years in public service, returning to CU as an alumnus in this role is truly a dream come true,” Gherardini said. “The university helped shape my journey, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back. I look forward to ensuring our HR operations are strong, responsive and seamless in support of our faculty and staff.”
In his new capacity at CU, Gherardini will lead strategic human resources initiatives across all campuses within the university system. His duties will include overseeing talent acquisition and retention strategies; managing labor relations; developing compensation frameworks; supporting leadership development; fostering employee engagement; and promoting organizational effectiveness.
