Penny Works for the Working Class

Penny’s passionate commitment to humanity, the arts, economic development, and protecting wildlife habitat is reflected in her more than 30 years of professional and volunteer service. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. Through her work, she has initiated and helped secure millions of dollars in combined monetary, pledged, and other sponsorship acquisitions for multiple nonprofit organizations and agencies.

As a business owner and resident of Livingston, Montana, she successfully served as the president of the Livingston Downtown Association and has served on the Board of Advisors for the Missoula-based Vital Ground Foundation since 2005. 

In 2004, Penny created and co-founded HATCH, a non-profit organization based in Bozeman dedicated to creating a better world through collaboration and mentorship in the arts. In its first year alone, HATCH brought more than $8.5 million of revenue into the Bozeman and Big Sky economy. 

In 2013, she founded OPERATION: Billings Child, a holiday gift program for homeless youth. Through OPERATION: Billings Child, thousands of wrapped gift boxes and bags, hygiene packets, and clothing items have been distributed to homeless youth enrolled in Billings Public Schools. 

Penny Continues to Fight to End Human Trafficking in Montana

In 2016, Penny co-founded the Yellowstone County Area Human Trafficking Task Force, the largest human trafficking task force in the state of Montana.

In her continued service as co-founder and co-chair, Penny:

• Speaks and trains on the subject of human trafficking, community organization, and leadership

• Creates and hosts conferences and events to educate the public and government agencies on issues of human trafficking

• Works with national and international organizations and governments on policies to protect victims of human trafficking and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and prosecute buyers and traffickers

• Works to develop partner task forces throughout the state of Montana 

• Works with the Montana Department of Justice, FBI, and the United States Attorney’s Office on statewide anti-human trafficking education, policy, and efforts to end this crime 

• Works with Montana’s U.S. Congressional Members to address human trafficking and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP)
  
  Penny has also:

• Secured state funding for additional Montana DOJ agents to investigate crimes of human trafficking

• Co-authored state legislation strengthening Montana’s laws on human trafficking – signed into law by Governor Steve Bullock in 2019

  • 2 Bills - SB147 and HB749 were both signed into law in 2019.

• Represented Montana at the White House Summit on Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. in January 2020

In 2017, Penny was elected to a four-year term on Billings City Council. Serving a trade region of more than a half-million people, Billings, Montana is the largest city in the state. In her role as a Councilwoman, Penny actively led on issues of public safety, economic development, energy conservation, equality, mental health, substance abuse disorders, and homelessness. 

Penny Led on Public Safety in Montana

As a Councilwoman, Penny:

Established the Citizen Police Advisory Board to make recommendations to the Chief of Police, City Administrator, and city council on:

1. Recruitment, retention, and workplace diversity 

2. Crime prevention and diversion 

3. Community support and engagement 

4. Data collection and analysis

Tripled the size of the police evidence building from 6,000 square feet to 16,000 square feet.  

"As a department that prides itself on being professional and progressive, we found it necessary to modernize our evidence operation. It was necessary for security, successful prosecutions, proper processing of evidence, storage, and accountability. Bluntly, our evidence procedures for storage must demonstrate integrity beyond reproach. and this new facility allows us to do that." - Billings Police Chief, Rich St. John

Penny also established, advocated for, and advised on the Massage and Spa Facility License Ordinance, the first in Montana, to shut down the illicit massage industry and prevent human trafficking, resulting in the closure of multiple illicit massage businesses within the first year and more under investigation.

Served on the committee developing the City ordinance regulating legal cannabis within the city limits. 

Worked to secure funding for public safety, which includes: 

1. $4 Million 2020 Public Safety Mill Levy, the first passed by voters since 2004

2. $7 Million 2021 Public Safety Mill Levy, the second in a row passed by voters

   • Adds 14 sworn police officers and 14 civilian support staff. 

   • Adds 2 Medical Response Teams to the Billings Fire Department.

   • Adds 3 City attorneys, 1 full-time judge, 2 paralegals, and support staff.

   • Adds 3 Code Enforcement Officers.

   • Dedicates $415,000 to support community partners providing mental health and substance abuse disorder services.

3. $4.3 million of state, county, and municipal funds to specifically address violent crime in Billings

   • $2.3 million dedicated state funds over 3 years to increase staffing in the Office of the State Public Defender and the Department of Justice.

   • $1 million dedicated Yellowstone County funds over 3 years to increase staffing of both County prosecutors and paralegals.

   • $1 million dedicated City of Billings funds over 3 years to increase staffing of law enforcement and prosecutors. 

Led in Energy Conservation and Cost Savings 

Established the Energy Conservation and Cost Savings Commission, which includes: 

1. A completed inventory of the City’s energy conservation resources and assets, which are, in part: 

   • 72 Electrical Efficiency projects since 2009, saving $650,000 annually, equivalent to the energy required for 630 homes

   • 40kW in solar installations at Fire Stations, Parks & Recreation, Met Transfer Site, and Library

   • Changed 1,800 lights to LEDs to reduce energy and improve safety with brighter lighting and integrated lighting controls 

   • Biogas collection system at the landfill, the only one in Montana, collecting enough gas to heat more than 1500 homes annually

   • Composting facility in design at the Landfill to reuse nutrients and divert waste 

   • Conversion of 14 garbage trucks to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), saving 10K annually per vehicle, with 8 additional projected 

   • Irrigating Centennial Park from reclaimed Big Ditch water

   • Upgraded energy management system at Billings Logan International Airport to maximize energy and water savings

   • Certification of 7 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Certified in downtown Billings, the most in Montana 

2. Billings was awarded a grant in April 2021 from the LEED for Cities Local Government Leadership Program, one of 120 cities nationwide, which will position Billings to certify as LEED for Cities Silver or Gold. 

Penny Secured Funds for Community Projects

• $43.68 million Billings Logan Airport Terminal Expansion, the first major expansion of the terminal building since the 1990s; funded by federal grants, airport revenue, and community bonds.

• $11.6 million federal BUILD Transportation Grant (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) to construct the Inner Belt Loop and Skyline Trail

Penny Led and Fought for Economic Development Projects

• Project ReCode, led by the City of Billings and Yellowstone County staff and citizen volunteers, the largest overhaul and modernization of zoning policies in Montana in the past half-century

• Approved TDS Cable/Phone/Internet Franchise, providing competitive pricing for cable/phone/internet packing 

• Established city resolution for full and permanent U.S. Congressional funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a key part of the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act

• Initiated a public review of the City Charter, the first review to pass since the charter’s adoption in 1977