Carolyn W. Colvin

Carolyn W. Colvin dedicated her career to public service to improve the quality of life for individuals who were vulnerable and most at risk. Throughout her career, she remained passionate about serving our nation’s most vulnerable populations - people living with disabilities, survivors, children, and those with limited income and resources.

Colvin was born in Arnold, Maryland, to Louis Porter and Lillian Watts. After Porter’s death, Colvin was adopted by her mother’s husband, Roger Watts. Colivn attributes her childhood growing up poor and her giving mother as one of her greatest influences in nurturing Colvin’s desire to help others, stating in an interview with Destiny-Pride (2010) that “she taught us very early on that we were expected to give back.”

She received her Bachelor of Science (1971), Master’s in Business Administration (1973), and Honorary Doctorate degrees in Business Administration from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. She gained a certificate in State and Local Government from Harvard University.

Colvin began her public service career in the Maryland office of U.S. Senator Paul S. Sarbanes in 1982. Her distinguished career included positions as Deputy Commissioner of Administration for the Baltimore City Health Department (1984-1988), Secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Resources (1989-1994), Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Social Security Administration (1998-2001), Director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (2003-2007) and Special Assistant to Secretary of the Department of Transportation (2009-2011).

Colvin spent over 30 years as a senior executive, leading federal, state, county, and city organizations through development, change, and innovation. Her commitment to the mission, ideals, and principles of the Social Security Administration, serving and protecting vulnerable children and adults, drew her from retirement to return to the Social Security Administration in January 2011. Upon her return, Dr. Colvin served as Deputy Commissioner for Social Security. On February 14, 2013, she became the agency’s Acting Commissioner, leading a workforce of more than 63,000 individuals. President Barack Obama nominated Colvin to Commissioner of the Social Security Administration in 2014. She also served as a member of the Social Security Board of Trustees (2013-2017). In 2020, Colvin became a member of President Joe Biden’s Agency Review Team during his transition into office.

Her dedication to others’ welfare also extends to Colvin’s membership in organizations such as Leadership Maryland; Morgan State University Alumni Association; the National Academy of Social Insurance; the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. She also became a National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) fellow.

Throughout her career, Colvin promoted the competence and abilities of all, encouraging and providing personal aid to others as they pursue their professional objectives and reach their full potential. In recognition of her commitment to the state of Maryland, she was honored with several awards, including the Sun Magazine’s 50 Women to Watch (2014), the Innovations in Aging Award (Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia Departments of Aging 2012), Maryland’s Top 100 Women (2005) and the Women of Achievement Award (Suburban Maryland Business & Professional Women 2005).

“…we all need to be involved. Each of us is part of a greater community and the only way that we can make this a better world is for us all to be involved.” - Carolyn W. Colvin in an interview with Destiny-Pride (2010)