Meet your 2024 Team
Over the last 16 years, CFTC has been championed by leaders across the city, from different denominational, economic, and vocational backgrounds. Scroll down to meet your 2024 CFTC Leadership Team.
Ex-officio Producer
Chuck Spong (pictured here with his wife Sara) is the ex-officio producer and one of the Founders of Christmas for the City. He’s been on the CFTC journey since the beginning when a small group of folks gathering in back of the Millennium Center in the summer of 2008 to brainstorm and imagine what a Christmas experience might look like in the heart of the city where guests encountered Christ and felt community. These days, he serve in a broad oversight role to bring some of the historical context as well as to continue to re-imagine and create a unique experience each year.
2024 Co-Producer
This is Liz's tenth year with CFTC. Since 2015, Liz could be found coordinating over 60 nonprofits around the building lead experiences and facilitate conversations with community members. This year she’s co-producing the event with her CFTC-bestie, Mike - focusing on operations, partnerships, and the event marketing. Liz serves as the Vicar at Lutheran Church of the Epiphany in Winston-Salem and First Lutheran Church in Lexington and attends Wartburg Theological Seminary. She enjoys life full of coffee, good books, deep conversations and her new husband their cats, Noodle and Early, and dog, Edna.
2024 Co-Producer
Mike (pictured on the left) has been with CFTC since 2013. After spending several years on the Table design team and serving as the North Pole Village coordinator, Mike has moved into a more involved role as the Co-Producer. When he's not helping with CFTC, Mike can be found at Project:Re3 in Kernersville where he serves as executive director. He also enjoys playing disc golf and board games with family and friends.
Nonprofit Coordinator
Brooklyn joined the Love Out Loud Staff as the Partnership Administrator in 2022 after two summers of interning with Love Out Loud. Brooklyn gets excited about creating partnerships in Winston-Salem and helping people find their unique service engagement.
As she has the past several years at Christmas for the City, she will be managing nonprofits all throughout the building as they bring experiences and the community feel to the event.
Music coordinator
Welcoming him back for his third year - Chris is a composer, performer, and singer-songwriter in the Greensboro area. He is most excited anytime he has the chance to use music (or any type of art) collaboratively to connect with people.
For the third year, Chris will be organizing all the musical stages and performances throughout the building and making sure everything works together in harmony.
Prayer Coordinator
Lanie Ehlinger is an educator, mentor, writer and loves to pray. She leads prayer initiatives locally and globally. She works at Wake Forest University as an academic coach and tutor to scholarship athletes. She has been involved in prayer for CFTC for several years and is leading the prayer for this year's CFTC.
Refreshments Coordinator
Matthew Harmon started attending Christmas For City when it first started in 2008 with his family. Over the years, his mom started getting more involved with various volunteer roles at CFTC helping instill a passion in him for this event and the impact that it makes on the city each year. Matthew loves to connect with all people and spread joy to others through any way he can help. Last here he did this by stepping up in a big way and taking on the position of Refreshments Coordinator. This year he is coming back to serve our guests again in this way. You can recognize Matthew by his festive outfits around the time of the event each year!
Development Coordinator
Sarcanda joined CFTC in 2021 and assisted with the North Pole Village design. Sarcanda has a passion for people and helping them prosper. Her experience in sales and networking within the community will bring value to the CFTC team. Sarcanda enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering within the community and staying active.
North Pole Village Coordinator
Terri Moy was involved in Christmas For the City at its beginnings until 2020, when she took time to focus on her adorable daughter (now 5 yrs old) Kailey and her husband Alex. During that time her family transitioned further into the calling God had for their lives both through new vocational and ministry opportunities. Terri runs an event coordination/production company, Favored Conferences & Events, while devoting most of her time to being a stay-at-home mom. Terri was able to build her love for events as a teen in church, and since then has loved to serve God and others by planning and coordinating in the background to produce memorable experiences. She rejoined the team in 2022 and is excited for 2023 Christmas for the City. Her prayer is that those participating experience the joy and peace of Christ through the excitement and unity that this event brings.
Volunteer coordination
Introducing SPARK!
SPARK (Share Peace and Rekindle Kindness, Inc.) is a local, Winston-Salem nonprofit that designs and manages community service experiences in order to help our neighbors in need and spread kindness to all. Through their commitment to partnering with local organizations and sacred spaces SPARK fans community's flame by serving and meeting every person where they are.
This year, SPARK is partnering with Christmas for the City to manage our volunteer sign up and engagement!