Spencer received a Bachelors of Science in Social Work from Calvin College in Grand Rapids Michigan. While attending school Spencer served as a supportive housing specialist in a homeless shelter, played an active role in the community by working to create a student chapter of a local neighborhood association and helped to coordinate an after-school program for neighborhood youth. Having graduated, Spencer moved to Pittsburgh where he worked as a Supportive Housing Case Manager for persons with chronic mental illness. In 2006 Spencer found himself back home in Massachusetts where he worked as the Program Coordinator for a Lawrence food pantry, before being hired in 2007 as the Lead Community Organizer for Lawrence CommunityWorks where he now serves as the Director of Network Organizing. Spencer is bi-lingual in English and Spanish and loves to spend time at his Lawrence home with his wife, two sons and their two dogs.