Tony Gherardini has been appointed as the new vice president and chief human resources officer for the University of Colorado system. He will begin his role on April 13, 2026.
Gherardini previously served as executive director of the Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration, where he managed a staff of 500 and a budget of $450 million. In this position, he was responsible for overseeing human resources strategy, workforce planning, benefits administration, payroll, and employee development for more than 30,000 state employees. He also led efforts to implement a skills-based hiring system that broadened access to qualified candidates and modernized recruitment across state government.
University of Colorado President Todd Saliman expressed confidence in Gherardini’s appointment. “We are thrilled Tony is joining our team,” Saliman said. “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.”
Before leading at the Department of Personnel & Administration, Gherardini worked as chief operations officer at the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health and served as director of state operations and cabinet affairs in the Governor’s Office. His earlier career included seven years with the Lakewood Police Department—two spent investigating crimes against children—and service in the Colorado Army National Guard from 2004 to 2017, including deployment in Afghanistan.
Governor Jared Polis commented on Gherardini’s departure from state government: “Tony has spent his career serving others, from his time in the military to his service in state government,” Polis said. “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 the university after over 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 position at CU, Gherardini will oversee strategic leadership for HR operations across all campuses. His responsibilities will include talent acquisition and retention strategies, labor relations management, compensation planning, leadership development initiatives, employee engagement programs and organizational effectiveness.
