Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva is president of Complete College America (CCA), a bold national advocacy organization for increasing college completion rates and closing institutional performance gaps. CCA is focused on systems change and works to addresses policy, perspective, and practice—at the federal, state, and institutional levels—to drive systemic changes that lead to better college completion rates, more equitable outcomes, and greater economic and social mobility. Watson Spiva has over 25 years of professional experience in postsecondary education, with a career spanning executive leadership, general management, federal government, public affairs, and academic officer positions.
Watson Spiva is the former president and CEO of College Success Foundation, a national nonprofit college readiness, access, success, and scholarship organization that serves thousands of low-income students annually. She also served as CEO/executive director of Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) Atlanta Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on increasing the number of low-income, first-generation students of color in Atlanta graduating from high school and college.
Watson Spiva has held various positions with the U.S. Department of Education in the Offices of Postsecondary Education, Student Financial Assistance, and Policy Planning and Innovation, culminating in her service as Region IV public affairs director in the southeast regional Office of the Secretary of Education.
In addition to having authored numerous research articles, Watson Spiva co-authored the NAACP Image Award-nominated book, Daring to Educate: The Legacy of the Early Spelman College Presidents (1881-1953). She has also been awarded the prestigious Turknett Leadership Character Award for outstanding leadership in the nonprofit sector.
Watson Spiva earned her undergraduate degree in economics from Spelman College, her master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, and her PhD in higher education from Georgia State University.