TALIA BROWN
GRACELAND UNIVERSITY
Once the pandemic response settled, Graceland returned to focusing on DigitalTransformation and invested substantial resources to implementing Oracle Cloud as its enterprise resource planning system, partnering with Drivestream as part of its membership of the HESS Collective, a consortium of small private institutions across the United States taking the same path.“ I can’ t really say‘ pennies’ anymore, because what our institution has done is a significant investment into our future, into a new ERP system with Oracle Cloud,” Talia says.
Graceland University joins HESS Collective for Oracle Cloud deployment The HESS Collective – Higher Education Systems and Solutions – does something unusual in technology. Competitors talk openly about processes, share solutions and collaborate in ways that would be unthinkable in most industries. Each member institution implements the same Oracle Cloud system, which means a report Talia creates in her instance can be shared directly with another university in Iowa or across the country.“ We’ re able to collaborate and engage with each other in ways that you typically don’ t see in other industries, where you’ re talking to your competitors about how they do things,” Talia says. The model works because small private institutions face similar challenges. They serve comparable student populations, operate with similar resource constraints and need systems that can handle both traditional campus students and growing online programmes.
TALIA BROWN
CHIEF INFORMATION & DATA OFFICER
Talia Brown serves as the Chief Information & Data Officer at Graceland University, where she oversees Information Technology, Instructional Design, and Institutional Research. With more than 25 years of experience at Graceland, Talia has held a variety of leadership roles, demonstrating adaptability and a strong commitment to student success.
She began her career at Graceland in 2000 in the Admissions Office and later transitioned into IT as a Reporting Specialist, where she coordinated major data reporting upgrades. Over the years, she has led Enrollment Operations, managed financial aid and student accounts, and twice served as Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management. In 2020, she embraced the challenge of leading the university’ s information and data strategy as CIO.
Talia has earned both her Bachelor of Arts( 2006) and Master of Education in Instructional Leadership( 2019). She is recognized for her expertise in operational efficiency, datadriven decision-making, and fostering digital transformation across campus.
174 March 2026