Penelope Whitney

At CSCCE, Penelope develops and implements communications strategies and trainings to extend the Center’s impact. Previously she was Director of Communications at the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) at UC Berkeley, where she led media strategy to connect IRLE experts with local and national reporters seeking new research and commentary on trends such as COVID-19’s effect on work. Earlier, as Communications Director at the Kaiser Permanente Labor Management Partnership, she led a team that produced visual and online learning tools for frontline healthcare workers and promoted partnership innovation. Penelope combines a love of storytelling with years of experience supporting nonprofits, unions, and academics to successfully communicate their mission and research. Her efforts have led to first-ever media coverage and new policies for many science and environment issues. Penelope earned an M.F.A. in Creative Writing - Fiction from the University of Montana and a B.A. in Journalism and Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz.