Penny is both a nurse and an attorney.  She worked as a community health and school nurse prior to returning to school to earn her master's degree in Pscychiatric Nursing of Children.  After becoming a Psychiatric Nurse Specialist Penny joined the College of Nursing faculty in 1974.  She integrated mental health into the undergraduate curriculum and taught in most of the undergraduate nursing courses.  She also provided individual psychiatric nursing therapy to children.  Penny's interest in child advocacy lead her to law school.  In 1984 Penny completed law school and passed the Utah State Bar Examination.  She worked in the law firm of Winder and Haslam for two years and then returned to the College of Nursing where she served as Assistant Dean for fifteen years.  Penny developed legal and ethical courses for both graduate and undergraduate nursing curriculums.  She helped to author a national legal curriculum for nurses with The American Association of Nurse Attorneys.  She has served as the PI on numerous HRSA grants to support diversity in nursing and also has written numberous grants to private foundations to support academic service-learning and international activities in the College of Nursing,  During the past ten years Penny has served as Director of Outreach for the College of Nursing.  She has served on numerous state and national boards, assuming leadership positions in most of her service activities.  She has also served as the President of the University Faculty Academic Senate and as a member of the Alumni Board of Directors.  Penny has served on and or chaired almost every committee on the University Campus.  She currently serves as chairperson of the American Hospital Association Committee on Governance and as a member of the AHA Leadership Development Committee.  She chairs the Utah Hospital Association Quality Council and is a member of the Intermountain Healthcare Urban Region Hospitals Board of Directors.  Penny served on Intermountain's Corporate Board for twenty three years.  She continues to serve with Intermountain Therapy Animanls advisory board and the KUED Public Broadcasting board of directors.  She has received numerous local and national awards for her advocacy and service to the community .