SNERGY-Diyonne McGraw

Story By: Beth Herbert

Diyonne McGraw, a headstrong and successful entrepreneur from Memphis, TN, grew up with many Black politicians and family members who were pillars in her community. Her mother, for instance, was deeply involved in their community, church, and worked for the department of family services.The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as McGraw has also served her community by coordinating and advocating for individuals with disabilities for over three decades. She started her own business in 2008, Successful Living II, which consists of group homes for individuals with intensive behavioral disorders.

McGraw was raised by her family members and church to value community outreach and believe in the power of prayer, but also recognize that communities are vastly influenced by politics. This inclination towards politics, combined with her new role as an entrepreneur and her desire to advocate for Black and Brown students in Alachua County, lead her to her decision to run to become a member of the Alachua County School Board. In November, 2020, McGraw won the seat and was sworn in on August 18th, 2020.

Because she was raised to value education and know that, with the proper credentials, more doors and opportunities would be opened for her, she graduated from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, then, in 2003, attained her real estate license. Today, she currently owns and runs homes in 5 locations, with the help of her 30+ employees and 3 managers.

It was important for McGraw to delegate most of the day to day tasks in her group homes so that she could focus on her campaign and fight to be elected as a new Board member on the Alachua County School Board. Her husband has taught and coached in the Alachua County public school system for almost 30 years, which caused McGraw to recognize that the system had barely changed during the time he has been employed. Since she was already selfemployed and did not work for the public school system, McGraw believed that she could make a difference on the Board by providing fresh, new perspectives and ideals. She values her 3 E’s — education, experience, and exposure — and is using her new position on the Board to rectify the disservices many students have experienced in public schools.

McGraw has been a member of the Alachua County School Board for over 100 days and has already begun implementing new programs to help close the achievement gap and advocate for students in the Gainesville area. Her Enough is Enough Campaign helps to provide students with opportunities to turn negative outcomes — like suspensions or expulsions from school — into positive experiences, and opportunities to start a trade or enroll in CTE courses. Diyonne McGraw continues to stay focused on her central message: “It’s time to show people, through our actions, what we can do!”