Meet Juliana Brown, vice president, Information Systems, ASU Foundation
A day in the life of the vice president of information systems finds Michigan native Juliana Brown developing systems that allow Arizona State University do a better job of reaching out to all our constituencies.

Juliana Brown, vice president, Information Systems, ASU Foundation

“One of the large creative challenges facing the university, as ASU’s enrollment has grown, is the increased numbers of student graduating each year,” Brown says. “We have a dynamic young alumni population who are a challenge to reach. Although we have a loyal core of donors, we are investing a great deal of creativity into figuring out ways to engage these young potential donors and increase the number of alumni who are making gifts.”

Bringing more than 21 years of leadership fundraising experience from the University of Michigan, Brown joined the ASU Foundation in 2005. She has served as the executive director of the annual giving and parents program, vice president of development services, and now holds her current position as vice president, information systems.

One of the main initiatives Brown is leading is the Arizona State Prospects, Information, Relationships and Engagements project (ASPIRE) that converts the ASU Foundation to two new data systems. The first is a new financial system, which will allow the finance team increased efficiency with endowment and operations management. The second is a new fundraising system, which helps the Foundation continue its outreach initiatives by insuring good mailing addresses, e-mail and phone numbers of members in our community to help ASU Foundation better connect to an investor who may have an interest in a university project.

Under CEO Johnnie Ray’s leadership the ASU Foundation is emphasizing greater alumni participation and giving, creating a bigger bond between the various college academic initiatives and laying the groundwork to get more people involved in the New American University campaign.

To honor donors who give through annual gifts, the office of annual giving has two programs. First, Partners in Academic Excellence is a program to recognize donors who give $1,000 or more. The second program, which is new this year, is a cumulative giving society to recognize people who give year after year.

“Long before I joined the ASU Foundation, I was a donor to the ASU parent’s program because of my son Chris’ involvement,” Brown says. “I give regularly to public television, and I made a recent gift to public programs in honor of my son, who graduated this past spring from ASU’s University College with an interdisciplinary degree in economics and geography. It is important to support the things that mean a lot to you.”