Penny Rich was raised and educated in New York City, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Pratt Institute and a Master of Arts in Communication Technology at New York University. She lived in Ft Lauderdale and New Orleans before moving to Chapel Hill with her family in 1998. Penny is a small business owner and a food columnist for Southern Neighbor and other print and broadcast media.

Penny has been married to Christopher Voorhees since 1992 and they have two son, Mikko and Brody who attend Chapel Hill High School . Penny’s mother, Jacky Rich, also resides with the family. Jacky is actively involved with the Reading Recovery Program at Carrboro Elementary and is proud to say that at 82 years old she is beginning to understand another language other than English and Yiddish. She loves learning Spanish from the children she helps, and they love teaching her.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT:

• Active Volunteer for the Inter-Faith Council’s Community Kitchen
• Current serving on the Ironwoods Home Owner’s Association
  • Chairperson for the Neighborhood Impact Committee
• Current member of Smith Middle School PTA
• Former member of the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) Board of Directors, 2001-2007.
  • Vice Chair
  • Secretary of the Board,
  • Chairperson of the Human Resources Committee
  • Chairperson Natural Resources Committee
  • Served on the Community Outreach Committee
  • Art Committee
  • Property Committee
• Former Member of the Chapel Hill Technology Advisory Committee
• Former President of the Chapel of the Cross Pre-School Board of Directors
• Former Fundraising Chairperson for the Chapel of the Cross Pre-School
• Former member of Carrboro Elementary School PTA
• Served on the SGC at Seawell Elementary School
• Member of the North Carolina Sierra Club
• Member of the NRG, Chapel Hill
• Member of the Orange Democratic Women