Passionate about the power and potential of education to increase economic mobility and opportunity.

Samantha Gutter is a public policy and strategy consultant.

Sam is an independent consultant with a proven track record of success in education policy, community engagement, and program development. Her career has been defined by transformative initiatives and strategic leadership in both the public and nonprofit sectors, including crafting and advocating for the passage of significant state legislation and budget allocations and designing and leading innovative programs to produce more equitable and accessible education systems. In 2017, Sam led the legislative effort to pass the Tennessee Reconnect Act, which allows nearly all adults in the state to attend community or technical college tuition-free. She has launched multiple statewide campaigns and programs to increase access to higher education and economic mobility.

In her previous roles as chief access & outreach officer at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, senior director of strategic initiatives at the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), and education policy advisor in the Office of Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Sam built strong partnerships with stakeholders to inspire, influence, and develop public policy solutions and honed her ability to lead and manage teams to set big goals and innovate. Sam currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband and two young children.

About

Core Services

Sam supports organizations to expand impact and accelerate change in education policy and workforce development to help ensure all learners can develop the knowledge, skills, and agency to thrive in their communities and in the workforce. Through her work in public policy and program management, Sam aims to serve students who have been historically underserved or marginalized. She brings a can-do spirit to every project and thinks outside the box to solve big challenges.

Core services include:

  • Policy research and analysis

  • Policy development

  • Strategic implementation of emerging programs, campaigns, and coalitions

  • Government affairs advising

  • Strategic planning support

Past and current clients include private family foundations, national philanthropy, statewide nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and mission-driven companies across the U.S.

Partnerships & Clients