Jamie Grayson
Founder, POAC Succeed
Jamie is the Founder and Executive Director of POAC Succeed, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening mental health, reducing educator burnout, and building cultures of belonging in schools and communities.
With a background in corporate leadership and organizational development, Jamie brings both professional experience and lived perspective to his work. His journey as a father, advocate, and leader has shaped POAC’s belief that people succeed when they are seen, heard, valued and supported especially during seasons of challenge.
Jamie founded POAC Succeed after witnessing how often students, educators and community members were expected to carry increasing emotional and mental health demands without adequate systems of support. What began as a response to inequity and silence has grown into a scalable model that partners with schools to address student wellbeing, staff burnout, and sustainable culture change.
Under Jamie’s leadership, POAC Succeed has partnered with school districts across the region, serving thousands of students and educators through leadership development, mental health awareness, and culture building initiatives. His approach is grounded in the belief that long-term impact requires more than one-time programming, it requires trust, intentional relationships, and shared ownership.
Jamie continues to lead POAC with a commitment to stewardship, collaboration, and measurable impact, working alongside schools, funders, and community partners who believe mental health and belonging are essential to student success and educator sustainability.
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Dr. Tracy Platt
President of Educational Strategies
Dr. Tracy Platt brings more than 25 years of experience in education to her role as President of Educational Strategies at POAC Succeed. Her career as a teacher and high school principal shaped a deep understanding of student behavior, adult leadership, and the critical role mental health plays in school culture and community wellbeing.
Throughout her leadership journey, Dr. Platt navigated some of the most complex and painful challenges a school community can face including supporting her building and broader community through the loss of four students to deaths. These experiences profoundly influenced how she leads, communicate, and supports others. They reinforced her belief that schools must address not only academics, but also emotional wellbeing, connection, and belonging for students, staff, and families alike.
After a fulfilling career in education, Dr. Platt partnered with Jamie Grayson and POAC Succeed to amplify a message that aligned deeply with her lived experience: people thrive when they feel seen, heard, valued, and supported. Through her work with POAC, she helps schools and organizations translate that belief into action.
Dr. Platt is trained in the 12 Mindsets of Belonging, a framework that supports emotional awareness, connection, and inclusive leadership. She integrates this work with POAC Succeed’s student ambassador model and culture-building approach to help schools foster healthier environments grounded in empathy, understanding, and shared responsibility.
Her passion lies in empowering leaders and communities with practical tools and strategies that support mental health, strengthen relationships, and create sustainable culture change. She is committed to helping organizations move beyond reactive responses toward proactive, people-centered systems of care.
Dr. Platt’s leadership foundation also includes distinguished service in the U.S. Army, where she was stationed in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Administration and Leadership from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, a Master of Arts in Education from Texas State University, a Master of Arts in Administration from William Woods University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Chaminade University.
A published author, speaker, and advocate for change, Dr. Platt recently released her first book, Every Student, Every Day, No Matter What: Creating a Culture of Belonging, and is currently working on her second book. Through POAC Succeed, she remains dedicated to planting seeds of awareness, strengthening mental health supports, and helping individuals and communities grow through connection and care.