Linfield University has named Ashly Tilden-Browning as its new director of human resources. She begins her role on Monday, April 13, 2026. Tilden-Browning brings more than 16 years of experience supporting employees and leadership in higher education and multi-site organizations.
In this role, Tilden-Browning will lead the university’s human resources operations, including employee relations, compliance, compensation and benefits, recruitment and professional development. She will advise university leadership on personnel strategy, guide policy development and ensure compliance with federal and state employment laws. She will also help foster a workplace culture grounded in fairness, transparency and care.
Tilden-Browning most recently served as a human resources business partner at The Springs Living in McMinnville. In that role, she advised senior leaders across a three-state region supporting more than 20 communities and led initiatives in employee relations, compliance, leadership development and workforce planning. Her work also included guiding complex workplace investigations, supporting organizational change and using workforce data to improve retention and performance.
She now returns to a higher education setting after more than a decade at Pacific University. There, she held a series of leadership roles. While working in the Office of Human Resources and Legal Affairs, she led employee relations efforts, supported HR system implementation and developed supervisor training programs. She also partnered with legal counsel on employment and compliance matters. She later served as MBA program manager, overseeing operations, student support and program development.
“Ashly brings deep experience in higher education and HR leadership, along with a thoughtful, collaborative approach to supporting employees,” said Mike Wenz, vice president for finance and chief financial officer at Linfield. “She navigates complex personnel matters with clarity and builds a positive, accountable workplace culture. She will be a tremendous asset to the Linfield community.”
Tilden-Browning holds a Master of Business Administration from Southern Oregon University and a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).
“Returning to higher education is especially meaningful to me, as it has been the foundation of my career,” Tilden-Browning said. “I am excited to join a community where people, purpose and connection are central to the mission, and I look forward to partnering with campus leaders to support employees and strengthen a workplace culture grounded in trust, clarity and collaboration.”
