Welcome Matt Poli, NEMWI Program Director
The Sunset Project is excited to announce its newest team member, Matt Poli, as Northeast Michigan Wellness Initiative (NEMWI) Program Director!
Matt joins the team after more than 30 years in public education, where he worked closely with students, families, and community leaders throughout Northeast Michigan. His experience, relationships, and love for the region will help us bring mental health awareness programming to more schools and reduce mental health stigma across the region.
Matt’s connection to the organization goes back long before we had a name, making this next chapter especially meaningful. We caught up with him to talk about his career, experiences, and what he’s looking forward to most as he steps into this new role.
Get to know Matt below!
Hey Matt, can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your connection to Northeast Michigan?
Sure thing. Hi all - my name is Matt Poli. My wife, Kellie, and I moved to Alpena more than 30 years ago for a teaching job and never left! We’ve had three kids since then, and over time, my parents, in-laws and brother also moved to the area. We love the rich history, the access to the outdoors and the small-town-with-big-energy feel that Alpena has.
Because of my love for helping others, I’ve been as involved in the community as possible over the years, whether with organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, United Way, and Alpena Senior Center, or through my church.
When I have free time, you’ll usually find me fishing, hiking, spending time on the water, working in my woodshop, or doing home improvement projects.
What's your career background, and what moments have stayed with you most?
I recently retired after more than 30 years of teaching and administration in the public school system, where I had the chance to work closely with students and families from across Northeast Michigan.
My early career began in Washington, D.C., where I spent two years teaching in Fairfax County Public Schools before returning to Michigan. I spent my first five years here at Alpena High School, teaching earth, space, and environmental sciences, as well as leading a student-led peer mentoring course called Natural Helpers. I then spent four years as 7th grade principal and athletic director at Thunder Bay Junior High before returning as Head Principal of Alpena High School for ten years.
Since then, I’ve held several district-wide roles, including Director of ACES Academy (twice!), Director of Educational Options, Innovations, and Partnerships, Executive Director of Human Resources, and Director of Grade 6–12 Curriculum, Assessment, State and Federal Grants + Programs.
As an educator, there’s no greater happiness than hearing a student’s name announced at graduation when you know what they’ve overcome to get there. No matter where my skills were needed, making a positive difference for families in and around this community remains the biggest highlight of my career.
Your interest in teaching started early. What did you enjoy about that experience that made you want to pursue education?
Before working in schools, I spent several years teaching martial arts and found a love for working with students and helping them see the value in what they were learning. Having the opportunity to teach and mentor in that setting led me to see how important it is for students to have adults they can connect with and rely on as they grow.
Being one of those people has kept me interested in this work over the years, along with the fact that teaching and learning are always changing. With everything from personal devices to artificial intelligence becoming part of everyday life, we have to keep evaluating how we teach and what our students need to be successful.
Across all the roles you’ve held, what has stayed consistent about the way you work with students and families?
I’ve always valued open, positive communication with students, staff, parents, and community members. When someone needs your time, support, or just an ear to bend, making yourself available can make a big difference in the relationship you have with them.
I tend to think of myself as a glass-half-full person, with room in the other half for continued growth. Celebrating successes is important, but I also enjoy looking ahead and working with others to figure out how we can reach our next goal.
Over the years, I’ve also learned to recognize where my own strengths can be helpful and where I need support. Working alongside people who bring different skills and perspectives has helped me grow and better serve the students and families who depend on us.
You helped students and families navigate some uncertain years, especially during COVID. What did that experience teach you about the support young people need?
Our students are growing up in a world that’s changing quickly, and I don’t think any of us know exactly where it’s headed! That uncertainty can be difficult to navigate, especially when you’re still figuring out who you are and what you want to do.
One thing COVID reinforced for me was the importance of working together, even when the path ahead wasn’t clear. We had to rely on one another to find solutions, and I think that same approach is important when helping young people work through challenges. Having someone who can help you consider a different perspective makes those uncertain situations easier to work through.
What can you share about your connection to this group, and what drew you to become involved with NEMWI?
When Nick, Gavin, and Kevin learned about Sawyer’s passing, they were in their first week as freshmen at Central Michigan. That night, I jumped in the car, drove to Mount Pleasant, and had dinner with them while they processed the news. Looking back, I think they were already beginning to form the foundation for The Sunset Project, even if they didn’t know it at the time.
Seeing what they’ve accomplished in the organization’s first five years has been amazing. Their commitment to honoring Sawyer has created opportunities for young people across Northeast Michigan to receive support and explore their creative interests, which is something our region needs.
NEMWI especially interested me because of its connection to schools and the work I’ve spent my career doing. Through its partnership with NAMI, the program has brought mental health awareness into high school classrooms and connected with more than 800 students, staff, parents, and community members in three years.
As you step into the Program Director role, what excites you about the people and programming behind NEMWI's work with Ending the Silence?
We have a great group of presenters who are willing to share their personal experiences while helping students understand the resources available to them. Their willingness to speak openly about their lives makes the presentations feel real and gives students new information they can use when they or someone they know is struggling.
I’m excited to support those presenters and help grow our Ending the Silence classroom presentations, including working with the team to find additional funding opportunities.
You’ve worked on many different sides of a school system. How will that experience and those relationships help build NEMWI?
Schools are complex systems, with many people, priorities, and perspectives involved in making decisions for students. Having worked in classroom, building, and district-level roles, as well as on the business side of education, I’ve developed an understanding of how those pieces can best work together. I hope that experience will help us work with schools to bring NEMWI into their communities in ways that fit their needs.
Over the years, I’ve also had the opportunity to work alongside some great school and community leaders throughout the region, and I’m looking forward to working with people I know while making new connections as we bring the program to more places.
Learning never stops! I’m excited to bring my experience to this role while continuing to learn from the educators, presenters, and community members we work with.
Five years from now, how do you see NEMWI helping change how people in Northeast Michigan talk and think about mental health?
I’d like to see more people feel comfortable talking about mental health and reaching out when they need support. There’s a lot of opportunity for NEMWI to find new and creative ways to reduce the stigma around those conversations.
I’d also like us to keep sharing information about the local, regional, and state resources available to students, families, and educators. My hope is that more people throughout our region will know where they can turn when they or someone they care about needs support.
After a career serving local students and families, what does continuing that work through The Sunset Project mean to you?
Being able to support an organization created for Northeast Michigan puts a big smile on my face! Though I’ve retired from the school system, helping others and being involved in the community remain important parts of my life.
The Sunset Project gives me a new way to continue serving the people who call this area home, and I’m looking forward to being part of that work.
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