As a lifelong student and enthusiast of all things science and nature, Samantha Wright originally found her niche in the nonprofit sector at the AKC Canine Health Foundation. There she had the opportunity to grow their fundraising and grant programs, develop educational materials and external communications, and oversee a rebranding and website refresh. This breadth of experiences inspired Samantha to earn her Master of Public Administration degree and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Villanova University. 

Samantha most recently worked as Director of Development Operations and Analytics at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Excited to apply her education and experience to such an important mission impacting her local community, she led fundraising strategies and operations and a 230% increase in overall giving. Her time at the Food Bank gave her the opportunity to exercise her professional passions of managing both data and processes as well as leading people and implementing strategic action plans.

Samantha lives in Raleigh with her husband, dogs, and chickens and is fueled by running, all things outdoors, and Raleigh’s many fine eating and drinking spots.