CU’s DiStefano to be inducted into Boulder County Business Hall of Fame

Editor’s note: BizWest will profile inductees of the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 over the next several weeks.

BOULDER — He may have retired after 15 years as chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder, but Philip DiStefano isn’t slowing down — and isn’t done serving CU.

He’s now back among the faculty at the School of Education, where he first began his career at CU Boulder 50 years ago as an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction. And beginning this fall, he’ll also serve as senior executive director at the Center for Leadership and the Quigg and Virginia S. Newton Endowed Chair in Leadership. He’ll also help his replacement, Justin Schwartz, transition into the chancellor position.

DiStefano will be one of nine individuals inducted into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024, Sept. 18, at the Jewish Community Center, 6007 Oleg Ave. in Boulder. Other inductees include Carol and Harvey Yoakum, Ann Cooper, Andrew Quillen, Daniel Vonalt, Kurt Quillen, Dr. Tom Cech and Clair Beckmann.

A native of Steubenville, Ohio, DiStefano earned degrees from Ohio State and West Virginia universities, and first served as a high school English teacher near his hometown before moving up the ranks at CU Boulder from educator to dean and provost, and finally to chancellor in 2009.

DiStefano has held leadership roles in the Association of American Universities, the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Pac-12 athletic conference, and is a member of Boulder Community Health’s board of directors.

He has kept close ties to the business community, honored with the Franny Reich Lifetime Achievement Award by the Boulder Chamber at its 2023 Celebration of Leadership. A strong advocate for strengthening ties between research universities, the private sector and the local, state and federal governments, DiStefano in 2015 worked with Zayo Group CEO Dan Caruso to fund a series of entrepreneurship seed grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 and more, and make them available to CU’s faculty and staff.

He also has been a fierce advocate for democracy because, as he told Colorado Public Radio in an interview in May, it’s more than just educating students: “I also want them to graduate as good citizens.”

He and his wife, Yvonne, have three daughters and two grandchildren.Tickets for the induction ceremony are available at www.halloffamebiz.com.

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