“Brandon has served Oklahoma well and I’m excited for this next step in his journey. He believes in the mission of making Oklahoma a Top Ten state in everything we do and knows that a strong university system in our state is an important part of that,” said Governor Stitt. “I know he will do great things at RUSO and will continue to work to align our education systems with our state’s workforce needs.”

“I am excited to continue to serve the state of Oklahoma in this capacity. The Regional University System has done an amazing job of preparing students for the workforce and making sure their curriculum aligns with industry needs,” said Dr. Tatum. “I appreciate my time in the Governor’s office and I have loved being a part of his Top Ten vision for this state. I look forward to continuing to work with all the key stakeholders across the state as we make our higher education system the best in the nation.”

Dr. Brandon Tatum has served as chief of staff to Governor Stitt since November of 2022. During his tenure, he helped Governor Stitt champion one of the most expansive education freedom packages in the nation, bringing more education options to every child in Oklahoma regardless of socioeconomic background.  

Prior to his time in the Governor’s office, Dr. Tatum served as executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Oklahoma Christian University. He led all strategy initiatives for the university including creation, implementation, assessment, and improvement and was responsible for developing key relationships with Oklahoma industries. He led initiatives to help address workforce shortages by partnering with industry to prepare students for the workforce.

Dr. Tatum received his doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Abilene Christian University. He formerly served on the Governor’s education transition committee focused on personalized learning and innovation and was his appointee on the Statewide Virtual Charter Board. Brandon and his wife, Megan, have a son, Sawyer, and twin daughters, Blakely and Gentry.