CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Penelope Huston serves as Chief Communications Officer for the City of Memphis, where she leads communications strategy with a focus on clarity, trust, and public engagement. Appointed in January 2024, she oversees brand strategy, internal and external communications, crisis messaging, and ensuring the city’s work connects to people and delivers real impact.

Her career spans public service, nonprofit, and media, with experience shaping messaging for some of Memphis’ most iconic brands. She previously served as Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the Downtown Memphis Commission, led marketing for Memphis in May International Festival, served as Advertising Director for The Memphis Flyer and Memphis Magazine, and worked in Corporate Alliances at ALSAC St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, building partnerships that expanded its impact.

A strategist with a background in psychology from Berry College, Huston focuses on how people experience information and how that shapes trust, engagement, and outcomes. Her work centers on using communications to connect strategy to measurable impact across communities.