Chef Penny Githens for Shalom's Fireside Gala

Penny Githens is a fighter and a doer! She led the charge in Indiana to include health insurance coverage for autism and Indiana became the first state to offer autism coverage in state employee health insurance plans. For three years, she served on the Board of the Autism Society on Indiana as well as the South Central Indiana Chapter of the Autism Society of America.

She was raised in Richmond, Indiana, attended Purdue University for undergrad and Indiana University for her graduate degree, and is a Hoosier through and through. She taught math and science as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya. She worked as a program developer at the University of Pennsylvania and as a researcher at Yale and at Vanderbilt University’s Health Policy. She most recently was a project manager at the IU School of Education and continues to volunteer with special needs students through the Monroe County YMCA. Penny also ran for the Indiana House of Representatives to represent District 60.

Penny continues to serve as a community leader on a number of fronts here in Bloomington and currently is a Monroe County Commissioner where she works to make things better for all residents.

It is in her DNA to serve and help others and she is proving that by volunteering to be a Celebrity Chef for Shalom Community Center. During the event, Penny will be volunteering in Kenya but she is confident that friends, family, and those with a bit of a competitive streak will help push her over the top in this friendly “competition.”

"I'm pretty sure you will love my gluten-free marinated chicken wings because they are divine!"