The North Carolina Local News Lab Fund has named Cierra Brown Hinton as its next Fund Director. Brown Hinton will assume the role on July 7, 2026, succeeding Lizzy Hazeltine, who has led the Fund for the past seven years. Brown Hinton was selected for the role following a national search led by the Fund’s advisory board.
“Cierra Brown Hinton is a skilled leader and trusted partner whose work has shaped the North Carolina and national news landscape,” said Teresa Gorman, Board Chair of the NC Local News Lab Fund and Associate Director at Democracy Fund. “She combines strategic vision with a deep, critical understanding of what this ecosystem needs — and she leads with values that put communities first. We are confident in what her leadership will mean for the Fund’s mission and the people it serves.”
Cierra Brown Hinton is a nationally recognized strategist, fundraiser, and movement infrastructure builder working at the intersection of media, philanthropy, and social change. A North Carolina native from Reidsville and living in Durham, she has dedicated her career to helping mission-driven organizations grow sustainably — without losing the clarity, creativity, or community accountability that make them matter in the first place.