AGB Search Recruits CHRO for the University of Colorado System

April 7, 2026 – Washington, D.C.-based recruitment firm AGB Search, which specializes in higher education leadership assignments, has helped to recruit Tony Gherardini as new vice president / chief human resources officer at the University of Colorado System (CU). Roderick McDavis and Margaret Plympton led the assignment. “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.”

Mr. 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.

Previously, Mr. Gherardini 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, Mr. 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.

“Tony has spent his career serving others, from his time in the military to his service in state government,” said Governor 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.”

In his new role with CU, Mr. 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.

“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.”

Related: AGB Search Recruits 22nd President for Seton Hall University

The University of Colorado System is a public higher education system in the state of Colorado composed of four campuses: the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Established in 1876, the system offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs across disciplines including liberal arts, engineering, business, medicine, and the sciences.

Finding Higher Education Leaders

AGB Search conducts searches for college and university presidents, chancellors, provosts, vice presidents, deans, university system heads, and CEOs of coordinating boards and related foundations. The firm was founded by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) in 2010.

Dr. McDavis became the managing principal and CEO of AGB Search in 2017, after serving as president of Ohio University for 13 years. He is responsible for leading and managing all components of AGB Search including executive search, interim search, executive coaching, and ExecComp, the firm’s compensation evaluation service.

His representative executive searches include:

• University of Colorado Boulder – chancellor.
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln – chancellor.
• California State University, Sacramento – president.
• Central State University – president.
• Polk State College – provost, academic affairs & workforce education.
• University of Pittsburgh – vice chancellor & secretary to the board of trustees.

Dr. Plympton joined AGB Search as a principal after serving in a similar role as a principal in the higher education practice of a global retained search firm. Her search expertise includes leading CFO/VPFA, dean, finance/auditing, human resources, information technology, real estate, compensation services, and compliance and audit searches. Earlier in her career she served as deputy chair and acting chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Her representative executive searches include:

• California State University System – assistant vice chancellor of capital planning.
• Lafayette College – provost.
• Pacific Northwest University – chief financial officer.
• Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education – chancellor.
• Texas Tech University – chief information officer.
• University of Illinois, Urbana/Champagne – senior vice chancellor for human resources.
• Western Colorado University – president.

Related: Western Colorado University Retains AGB Search for Senior Assignment

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media