Dr. Becky Takeda-Tinker is dedicated to facilitating industry and workforce success through diverse, innovative, and evidence-based education and training programs and models.

In her current role as the State of Colorado Recovery Officer for the Depts. of Labor & Employment and of Higher Education, Becky has leveraged her experience and expertise in innovative higher education and training programs that lead to workforce success, to support the planning, development, accountability, and compliance of the American Recovery Plan Act, CARES Act, and State Stimulus funding of over $1 billion for the Colorado Dept of Labor and Employment (CDLE) and the Colorado Dept of Higher Education (CDHE). She has also collaborated with multiple state departments for the delivery of the Governor’s 3-year healthcare plan launched in 2022, and helped to lead the drafting and legislative process for 2022 Legislative Session bills to address state economic development and post-secondary education innovation, including a statewide regional economic development grant program for workforce development, a stackable credentials pilot, and a comprehensive data collection and public-provisioning system for CO institutions.

Previously and backed by her leadership experience and skills acquired in the private sector, Becky was the first president & CEO of Colorado State University Global. In this role, Becky employed strategic leadership strategies to drive operational, organizational, and business success through human development, technological advancement, and data-driven analysis. Her work is seen through the success of CSU Global, the nation’s only online, fully accredited, state, nonprofit university, where she led the development and execution of CSU Global alternative credit programs; organizational training; client-based outsourcing initiatives; creation of non-degree short programs for reskilling and upskilling; and innovative pathways into CSU Global degrees through partnerships with K-12 school districts, industry organizations, and third-party education and training organizations. Her work led to the graduation and degree completion of over 20,000 in CSU Global’s by 2020 while still serving over 20,000 students leading to 5-year Equifax data on CSU-Global alumni reflecting the institution’s Bachelor’s and Master’s degree graduates earn over 30% more than the nationwide average.

Becky has expertise in finance, leadership, and business management research studies through a Ph.D. in Organization and Management with a specialization in Leadership; a Masters of Business Administration in Finance; a post-graduate certificate in marketing management; and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. She is also the author of the book, Impacting the Future of Higher Education, and has been selected as one of Denver Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business; and named one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Business by the Colorado’s Women’s Chamber of Commerce, one of the Five Higher Ed Leaders to Watch by Education Dive, a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts, and a PowerBook Thought Leader by the Denver Business Journal.