Valerie Crespín-Trujillo (she/her) is the Director of College Completion Policy leading TICAS’ efforts to expand and align state and federal investment with evidence-based student supports that research has demonstrated empower more students to enroll and graduate from college.
Prior to joining TICAS, Valerie served in leadership roles in philanthropy, postsecondary education, and government. Valerie was previously a Senior Program Officer at Ascendium Education Group, a national philanthropic funder dedicated to systemic improvements that create equitable opportunities for education and workforce training beyond high school. In her role, she supported partners working to improve student transitions through improved collaboration across postsecondary institutions, systems, and the workforce. Valerie also helped grow Ascendium’s portfolio of grants focused on efforts to help the field better understand rural learners and postsecondary providers and build their capacity to support rural learners from enrollment to workforce entry. Previously, Valerie was Education Director for the Wisconsin Technical College System office, leading statewide efforts to expand transfer opportunities for students. She has also held academic appointments with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison Area Technical College, the Universities of Wisconsin, and the University of New Mexico. Her government service includes executive and legislative branch positions, as a staff member of the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, the New Mexico Higher Education Department, and the United States Senate.
Raised in New Mexico, Valerie received a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she was a Graduate Research Scholar fellow. She also holds a master’s degree in public policy from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin.
