Tony Gherardini named vice president and Chief Human Resources Officer
Tony Gherardini has been named vice president of human resources for the CU system. He will begin at CU on April 13, 2026.
Gherardini most recently served as executive director of the Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration, where he led a 500-person agency with a $450 million budget and administered the statewide personnel system supporting more than 30,000 employees. In that role, he oversaw human resources strategy, classification, and compensation, labor relations, workforce planning, benefits, payroll and employee development across the Colorado state government.
“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.”
In his role as director of the Colorado Department of Personnel Administration, Gherardini led the implementation of a skills-based hiring system that increased skills-based hires across the state government, modernized recruitment practices and expanded access to qualified candidates.
Previously, he served as chief operations officer for the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health, overseeing administrative, financial and operational functions. He also served as director of state operations and cabinet affairs in the Governor’s Office, overseeing Colorado’s executive branch performance management system
Before working for the state, Gherardini was an agent with the Lakewood Police Department. He served the city of Lakewood for seven years, two of those as a detective investigating crimes committed against children. Gherardini served in the Colorado Army National Guard from 2004 until 2017 and 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 earned his master of public administration from CU Denver and returns to the university after more than two decades 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.”
As vice president of human resources, Gherardini will provide strategic leadership for systemwide HR operations in partnership with campus HR leaders. His responsibilities will include talent acquisition and retention, labor relations, compensation strategy, leadership development, employee engagement and organizational effectiveness.