EVP and COO Rachael Nava appoints new Systemwide Vice President for Human Resources

Rachael Nava, UC Office of the President executive vice president and chief operating officer, shared the message below with the UCOP community on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.

Dear colleagues,

Following an extensive nationwide search, I am pleased to announce that Dianna E. Henderson has accepted my offer to become the Vice President of Systemwide Human Resources (VP SWHR), effective February 1. 

This is a key role on my senior leadership team in UC Operations, leading over 180 human resources professionals and with oversight of a broad systemwide portfolio of HR functions, including employee and labor relations; total rewards (benefits, retirement, compensation); culture, talent, and strategy; policy development and compliance; organizational and leadership development; finance and administration; and UCOP HR. The Vice President also serves as the principal HR advisor to the UC Board of Regents, the UC President, campus Chancellors, medical center CEOs, and other senior executives across the UC system.

Dianna will collaborate with UC location HR leaders to design and implement forward-looking, people-centered strategies and a workplace culture that engages, supports, and empowers the University’s workforce. She will also spearhead efforts with systemwide colleagues to continuously review services and ensure that our HR functions are responsive, effective, future-focused, and aligned with UC’s mission and goals. 

Dianna is a seasoned HR professional with deep expertise and a reputation for stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and steady leadership. With more than 15 years of UC experience, she is well known throughout the UC HR community as a thoughtful leader and a collaborative partner committed to supporting the UC mission and our valued employees. Last year, Dianna led the effort to streamline processes and expand UC’s Catastrophic Leave Donation Program to allow employees across the system to donate leave to colleagues affected by the Eaton or Palisades Fires. 

Prior to this role, Dianna served as the Deputy Chief HR Officer and Chief of Staff to the current Vice President of HR, Cheryl Lloyd. Since November 2024, she has also been serving as the Interim Chief HR Officer for UCOP. Dianna began her UC HR career on the labor negotiation team, working on the first collective bargaining agreement with the UAW unit representing postdoctoral scholars, and later overseeing systemwide HR policy development. She has also overseen the Finance and Administrative team embedded in systemwide HR, and she served as the Acting VP of HR when the Vice President was unavailable. Before joining the University of California, she worked for over 12 years in HR at a UC-affiliated clinical research center, supporting principal investigators and postdoctoral scholars in Emeryville, California.

Dianna earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier University and her MBA from Holy Names University. She is a longtime resident of Oakland, California.

I would like to thank the search advisory committee for their tremendous effort and helpful insights during this process:

• Michael J. Beck, Administrative Vice Chancellor, UCLA; 
• Nathan Brostrom, UC Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; 
• Andenet Emiru, UC Health Director of External Partnerships and past Staff Advisor to the UC Board of Regents; 
• Marisa McAuliffe, Chief Policy Advisor, President’s Executive Office; 
• Ahmet Palazoglu, Chair, Systemwide Academic Senate and Distinguished Professor, UC Davis; 
• Kurt Schnier, UC Merced Chief Financial Officer; and
• Terri Winbush, Campus Chief Human Resources Officer, UCSD.

In addition, my thanks to several other colleagues who advised on this search:

• Susan Abeles, Chair, Council of UC Retiree Associations;
• Amy Block Joy, Professor Emerita and Chair-Elect, Council of UC Emeriti Associations;
• Jenny Kao, Vice President and Chief of Staff to the President; 
• Katherine Newman, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs; 
• Meredith V. Turner, Senior Vice President, External Relations and Communications; and
• Allison Woodall, Deputy General Counsel. 

I also want to share my gratitude for the executive search team from Isaacson, Miller, and to Michael Yates and Vanand Larians at UCLA HR, who provided support for this search.

Finally, as I shared last year, Cheryl Lloyd is retiring from the University after more than 30 years of dedicated service. Her last working day will be January 31. I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation to Cheryl for her steadfast partnership and many lasting contributions to the University of California. Please join me in wishing her all the best as she looks ahead to retirement.

Sincerely,

Rachael Nava
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer