Sam Gutter

Samantha Gutter is Managing Director at the John M. Belk Endowment, where she leads strategic efforts to expand college access and strengthen connections between education, policy, and workforce development across North Carolina. She manages the Endowment’s postsecondary access portfolio, including its partnership with Advise NC, a statewide college and career advising network. In this role, Sam works with higher education leaders, state agencies, employers, and philanthropic peers to develop shared strategies that expand opportunity for students.

Originally from Alabama, Sam began her career as a teacher through Teach For America, an experience that shaped her belief that every student deserves a clear path to opportunity. In Tennessee, she served as education policy adviser to former Governor Bill Haslam, senior director of strategic initiatives at the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), and chief access and outreach officer at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. She led the legislative effort to pass the Tennessee Reconnect Act, making community and technical college tuition-free for nearly all adults. She also designed and launched local pilot initiatives that grew into statewide programs with sustained public funding.

Most recently, Sam has worked with philanthropic and nonprofit organizations across the country on policy research and writing, workforce development, strategic planning, and coalition building.

Sam holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Auburn University and a master’s degree in education from Vanderbilt University. She lives in Charlotte with her husband, Jamie, and their two children.