Diana McQuarrie

Bio

Diana McQuarrie is an innovative strategic leader and engaging educator. She brings a wealth of over 25 years of cross-sector experience in executive leadership, strategic program development and expansion, board governance, leadership development and teaching. Diana’s distinct skills in strategic planning, stakeholder management and consensus building are valued across industries.

Professional Background

Diana currently serves as the Enrollment Manager/Academic Advisor for the Strategic Human Resources and Communication Management graduate degree programs at University College. Previously, she held senior leadership positions at Starwood Resorts and the American Humane Association. Diana’s leadership roles yielded significant results through building, nurturing and sustaining alliances with a diverse range of individuals and clients.

Prior to joining University College as an Adjunct Faculty in 2015, Diana served for 15 years as Executive Director of Denver Pet Partners – a non-profit organization she founded that is dedicated to building healthier communities through animal-assisted therapeutic intervention – the first of its kind in Colorado. Under her leadership, the organization grew to over 200 skilled handler-animal teams delivering direct services to over 50 healthcare, child welfare, and education facilities benefiting over 40,000 lives annually in Colorado.

Diana is certified in strategic alliance management and volunteers her time as a Subject Matter Expert for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). As a member of the U.S. delegation (Technical Advisory Group), along with global colleagues, she contributes to developing Collaborative Business Relationship management guidelines for the ISO.

Diana is serving her second term as Chair of the Board of Directors at Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), the largest guide dog school in the United States and the second largest in the world.

Education

Diana earned a B.A. in Communications from Biola University and a M.S. in Organizational Leadership from Regis University.

Helping Students be Successful

Students appreciate Diana’s passionate teaching style which stimulates critical thinking, energizes discussion conversation, and uses questioning to inspire students to think beyond the material and unlock their full potential.