Yolanda Watson Spiva

Yolanda Watson Spiva is the president of Complete College America (CCA), a bold national advocate for dramatically increasing college completion rates and closing equity gaps by working with states, systems, institutions, and partners to scale highly effective structural reforms and promote policies that improve student success. Her more than 25-year career in postsecondary education spans a range of executive leadership, general management, federal government, public affairs, operations, and academic officer positions. Spiva is the former president and CEO of College Success Foundation (CSF), a national non-profit college readiness, access, success, and scholarship organization. She has also held various positions with the U.S. Department of Education and was awarded the prestigious Turknett Leadership Character Award for outstanding leadership in the nonprofit sector. Spiva earned her undergraduate degree in economics from Spelman College (Ga.), her master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, and her doctorate in higher education from Georgia State University.