Staff Council sets leadership for 2025-26
The University of Colorado Staff Council (UCSC) recently completed the election of its next Executive Committee, including current co-chairs Ja’Net Hurt, CU Denver, and Kimberly Slavsky, CU Anschutz, who will continue to share the responsibilities of leading UCSC in 2025-26.
The UCSC serves staff on the four campuses, system administration and the CU Foundation office. The governance group’s staff representatives share a common goal of helping the entire university community, especially fellow staff, and being a voice that resonates across the CU system. To learn more, go to www.cu.edu/ucsc.
Executive Committee members for 2025-26 are:
- Co-Chairs – Ja’Net Hurt and Kimberly Slavsky (two-year terms)
- Vice Chair – Deann Barrett (one-year term)
- Treasurer – Jan Owens (one-year term)
- Secretary – Natalie Schaffer (one-year term)
- Comms Officer – Gwendolyn “Gwen” D’Elia (one-year term)
- Parliamentarian – Jennifer D’Angelo Dekker (one-year term)
JáNet Hurt, co-chair; operations and events manager, School of Education and Human Development (SEHD), CU Denver
Ja'Net Hurt is serving her second term as co-chair of UCSC, bringing over two decades of experience, leadership and advocacy to her role. Hurt has worked in the SEHD for over 21 years, previously serving as executive assistant to the dean. In her position, she plays a pivotal role in managing strategic operations, event planning and administrative functions for the school.
A passionate and long-serving staff leader, Hurt has been involved in staff governance since 2012. Her leadership spans numerous roles on the CU Denver Staff Council and UCSC, including serving as chair of the UCSC Personnel and Legislation Committee, vice chair of the Campus and Community Engagement Committee and parliamentarian. She also chaired high-impact events including CU Day at Elitch Gardens. She also manages campus-wide efforts like the annual Coats for Colorado drive and serves on CU Denver’s Strategic Plan Engagement and Advocacy Committee (SPEAC).
Kimberly S. Slavsky, co-chair; operational data lead, Department of Psychiatry, CU Anschutz Medical Campus
Kimberly Slavsky is starting her second year as co-chair of UCSC and is a 15-year member of the CU community. She is based at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus in the Department of Psychiatry, providing support with operational data management and process improvement.
Slavsky has been a member of shared governance since 2019. She has held the roles of vice chair on the CU Anschutz Campus Council since 2021, and communications officer, vice chair and now co-chair starting in 2022. She is passionate about shared governance and the opportunities it gives to support professional development, mentorship, connection and community for all of CU.
Deann Barrett, vice chair; human resources director, College of LAS, UCCS
With over five years as HR director at UCCS in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Barrett is passionate about supporting staff and fostering a positive campus environment. As the current UCCS Staff Council president, she is deeply committed to staff advocacy and values UCSC’s meaningful impact on the university community.
Jan Owens, treasurer; administrative assistant, Center for Student Involvement, CU Boulder
Owens began her journey at CU Boulder in July 1999 as a temporary employee and transitioned to a full-time role in February 2000. She currently serves as administrative assistant to the director of the Center for Student Involvement. As a dedicated Student Life staff member, Owens is passionate about supporting students and helping them have a meaningful and positive experience at CU Boulder.
Natalie Schaffer, secretary; admissions manager, Academic Services, School of Education and Human Development (SEHD), CU Denver
Schaffer has been with CU Denver since 2015 and has spent nearly a decade working in admissions. She is currently the graduate admissions manager for SEHD and enjoys facilitating an exceptional admissions experience for graduate students. She has been a CU Denver Staff Council member since 2017 and joined UCSC in 2021. Schaffer has served in several leadership roles, including chair of the Professional Development Committee and secretary for CU Denver Staff Council and UCSC.
Gwendolyn “Gwen” D’Elia, communications officer; senior training specialist, CU Advancement training and outreach, CU system
D'Elia joned CU in November 2021 and joined the System Staff Council in February 2022; she has been chair of System Staff Council since August of the same year. She loves the Staff Council because it has been a great way to connect with staff across departments, especially since she joined CU during the pandemic. Staff Council makes her feel connected to CU’s mission in many ways, and it’s the biggest reason she encourages staff to consider getting involved with their campus councils.
Jennifer D’Angelo Dekker, parliamentarian; senior HR operations analyst, Employee Services, CU system
Dekker is beginning her second year as parliamentarian and chair of the Policy Committee, representing system administration, where she is in her second term as vice chair of the System Staff Council. She has worked for CU for seven years and is passionate about Staff Council because it provides a meaningful way to connect with and advocate for colleagues. She believes staff voices are essential to shared governance and is committed to ensuring those voices are heard and respected. Dekker is working on her master’s degree in management through CU Denver, utilizing the expanded Tuition Assistance Benefit.