CU System Team
Judi A. Diaz Bonacquisti, EdD (she, her)
Vice President, Senior Diversity Officer
judi.diazbonacquisti@cu.edu
For more than 25 years Dr. Judi Diaz Bonacquisti has developed programs and policies to expand college access and advance students toward college degree completion. Diaz Bonacquisti has served as Senior Student Affairs Officer, Senior Enrollment Officer, and Senior Diversity Officer. She has a track record for advancing equity in education, particularly for students of color, first-generation students, undocumented students, and students from low-income backgrounds. Judi has served students at public and private colleges and universities with a range of academic offerings and admissions selectivity, and populations ranging from 4,000 to 24,000 students.
Dr. Diaz Bonacquisti has presented at numerous national conferences and has assisted in statewide policy development to advance the college completion agenda. She was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper to serve on the Educational Leadership Council and was nominated and jointly appointed by the State Board of Education and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education to serve on the Educational Success Task Force. She has been recognized by the Denver Business Journal as a winner of 40 under 40, is an alumna of both Harvard’s Institute for Management & Leadership in Education and Leadership Denver, and is a founding member of the Colorado Coalition for the Educational Advancement of Latinos.
Dr. Diaz Bonacquisti owns Bonacquisti Wine Company with her winemaker husband Paul Bonacquisti. She has engaged the winery in a number of partnerships with nonprofit organizations, especially those that support access, equity, and success in higher education. Bonacquisti Wine Company’s core philosophies have supported local education and local art since its inception in 2006.
Thanh Nguyen, EdD (she, her)
Director of DEI Strategic Initiatives
thanh.nguyen@cu.edu
Thanh Nguyen joined the University of Colorado system as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Initiatives in the fall of 2023. In her role, Dr. Nguyen works collaboratively with administrative and campus partners to develop and implement initiatives designed to enhance the success, retention, and personal development of CU’s community and further CU’s commitment to developing an inclusive, equitable, and supportive environment.
Dr. Nguyen is an ardent advocate for students from marginalized populations and minoritized identity groups. Over her career, she has successfully facilitated the development of anti-racist policies, procedures, and co-curricular activities on campus, and developed many effective partnerships with student leaders, faculty, and staff. In her work, Dr. Nguyen is committed to establishing work cultures based on teamwork, collaboration, transparency, and trust. As a leader, she leverages an analytical mindset to conduct regular assessments and make data-informed decisions about policies, procedures, and practices. This pragmatic, evidence-based approach has allowed her to drive continuous improvement within her departments.
Dr. Thanh Nguyen is a Higher Education Scholar-Practitioner, with a Doctor of Education (D.Ed.) degree in Higher Education from the University of Denver and over a decade of experience working in Higher Education, including Admissions, Student Activities and Leadership, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In addition to her doctorate, Dr. Nguyen holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education, also from the University of Denver, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Colorado College.
Vicky R McPheron (she, her)
Executive Assistant
vicky.mcpheron@cu.edu
Vicky joined the University of Colorado System in August of 2017 as the Executive Assistant for the Vice President of Administration, Kathy Nesbitt. In May 2020, she also began supporting the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion System office. Vicky is a seasoned Executive Assistant with over 25 years in the field. She has extensive experience with all administrative tasks, including scheduling, correspondence, event planning and project management. She previously worked for the National Conference of State Legislatures in the Criminal Justice program. Vicky graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She lives in Aurora and her son, Kyle, attends the University of Colorado-Boulder.