Penelope Huston was appointed Chief Communications Officer in January 2024. As the Chief Communications Officer, she is responsible for crafting the City’s external and internal messaging and brand strategies and managing a team of 14. She is a seasoned storyteller, a seasoned and strategic communications and marketing professional who has overseen print and digital campaigns for hundreds of corporate and retail clients and helped to guide messaging and client engagement for some of Memphis’ most iconic brands: The Memphis Flyer, Memphis Magazine, ALSAC/St Jude, Beale Street, The Downtown Memphis Commission, and Mighty Lights. 

 With a BS in Psychology from Berry College, Huston turned her love of understanding how people think into a career focused on how people feel about brands, initiatives, and now cities. She previously served as President of the Memphis Chapter of the American Advertising Federation and on the National Board of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. She currently serves on the boards of the Memphis Rock n Soul Museum, Indie Memphis, Memphis River Parks Partnership, New Memphis, and the Memphis Brand Initiative.