Yolanda Spiva

Yolanda Watson Spiva, Ph.D., serves as the President of Complete College America (CCA), a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. CCA is dedicated to increasing college completion rates and closing equity gaps by working with states, systems, institutions, and partners to implement effective structural reforms and policies that enhance student success.123

Dr. Watson Spiva has over 25 years of experience in postsecondary education, holding various executive leadership roles. Before joining CCA, she was the President and CEO of the College Success Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on college readiness and success for low-income students. She also served as CEO/Executive Director of Project GRAD Atlanta Inc., which partnered with the Atlanta Public School District to increase college graduation rates among low-income students.123

Her educational background includes an undergraduate degree in economics from Spelman College, a master's degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in higher education from Georgia State University. Additionally, she is a board-certified executive coach from the Center for Credentialing Education.13 Dr. Watson Spiva is also an accomplished author and coauthored the NAACP Image Award-nominated book "Daring to Educate: The Legacy of the Early Spelman College Presidents (1881-1953)".13