Our Team
Lizzy Hazeltine
Director
Lizzy Hazeltine helps teams solve real problems, grow revenue to sustain themselves, and deepen their service to their communities. She applies hard-won lessons from local media, early-stage venture capital, and product management to build teams' capacity for service and sustainability. As Director, Lizzy Hazeltine leads the North Carolina Local News Lab Fund’s overall strategy and portfolio, supports funders to maximize their impact, cultivates connections among organizations in the North Carolina news ecosystem, and tracks and amplifies case studies and lessons learned. With the goal of making the Fund and philanthropy more accessible, Lizzy holds open office hours, and especially encourages those who are new to grant seeking to connect. She also coaches teams in various national news transformation programs and supports industry-wide learning around revenue and DEI. Lizzy’s journalism training began at UNC Chapel Hill where she was a Morehead-Cain Scholar.
Connect: Email | LinkedIn | Office Hours
Sam Spencer
Associate Director of Funder Partnerships
Sam Spencer (he/him) is a longtime communications and fundraising professional, public information officer, and former educator.
As a consultant and staff member, Sam has raised millions of dollars for non-profit and political causes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sam worked as a Communication Director and Deputy Chief of Staff in the United States Congress, connecting thousands of North Carolina constituents to vital information about health care resources and emergency disaster benefits. In addition, Sam's public service roles include serving as chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission, and as a member of many Charlotte-based boards including the Citizens Transit Advisory Group, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, and the Arts & Science Council.
As the child of two journalists, Sam has had an interest in the media from a young age. After growing up in studios and press boxes, first job was a magazine delivery route across the Metrolina region. He has contributed opinion pieces to newspapers ranging from the Charlotte Observer to the Boston Globe, and has bylines in many North Carolina publications. In 2022, he co-founded the award-winning local arts and culture newsletter Y'all Weekly.
Sam graduated from Davidson College with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. He lives in Charlotte with his wife (Rebekah), Rottweiler (Willow), and Corgi (Sonny), and in his spare time he reports on both professional soccer and the United States' national soccer teams. He is looking forward to photographing the Men's World Cup next year.
Join Our Team
We’re hiring an Associate Director of Field Partnerships. Learn more and apply today.