William Watson
BIO
From a dirt-road childhood in Mississippi, William Watson learned democracy watching Southern-born parents risk their lives (and his) in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.
Self-medicated to survive coming of age, he is now sober from alcoholism for more than three decades - "a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of his spiritual condition."*
After a career as a psychotherapist treating people experiencing substance use disorders, he prototyped award-winning equity innovations in Higher Education for over 20 years.
He is an Aspen Institute Presidential Fellow for College Excellence (with Stanford University). The doctorate he earned from San Francisco State University centers social justice and equity.
Dr. Watson founded Waterbrook, LLC, during the Covid 19 pandemic amid autocratic threats to the future of American democracy.
With the clarity of of crises’ crucibles, Watson formed Waterbrook, LLC answering these questions:
- “What am I made of”
- “What can I uniquely contribute” and
- “What can one’s spiritual awakening catalyze at scale.”
His new book and workbook, Twelve Steps for White America: for a United States of America, is published by Cognella Press.
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*Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book (3rd ed.). (1976). Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. p. 85
EXPERIENCE & CONTENT EXPERTISE
Author & Speaker
Twelve Steps for White America: for a United States of America Book (Workbook with Christine Sleeter, contributor) Cognella Press.
Waterbrook, LLC
C-Suite Higher Education
Collaborative Impact Partnerships
Leader of higher education participation in complex regional and national collaborations STEM, Financial Capability, Career Pathways, Stackable Credentials (in Bio-manufacturing, 2+3 Engineering Transfer to M.S.), Economic Mobility, Immigrant Integration, Faculty Development (SRI, NSF, Stanford), College to Career for Court-Involved Youth, and Opportunity Youth Collective Impact Initiatives.
Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, Anti-Racism
- Rigged Advantage Theory (Originator)
- Applied recovery principles to uproot legacies of slavery in Twelve Steps for White America
- Award winning program designer and manager of equitable outcomes serving populations marginalized by whiteness-affiliated rigged advantage that relies on white supremacy and anti-blackness
- Published student service innovations serving immigrants and English language learners
- Doctorate centers social justice and equity
- Policy Advocate for Immigrant Integration (CA AB 2098)
- Effective leadership for some of the most diverse higher education populations in the USA (San Mateo County-Neighboring San Francisco, Oakland-Alameda, San José)
- Leader of Program awarded the John W. Rice Diversity and Equity Award (California Community Colleges Board of Governors)
Organizational Development, Strategic Planning & Accreditation
- C-Suite (Cabinet) Leadership of Strategic Planning for colleges and college districts serving Students, Faculty, Academic Senates, Classified Professionals, Unions & Regional & National Partnerships
- Accreditation Team Management, Writing and Editing
- Organizational transformation to launch the Community College Center for Economic Mobility
- Strategic partnerships for the college district serving the 10th largest city in the U.S. Sample partnerships included: the Silicon Valley Leadership Group - Cradle to Career; NextFlex - America's Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Institute; Integrated Device Technology (internet of things); SRI International; Northeastern University; Pacific Northwest HUB for NSF STEM with Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative, Stanford Graduate School of Education | youcubed, SLAC - Stanford National Laboratory.
