Prior to being appointed to the Parole Board, Ms. Penna had served as the Assistant District Attorney for Cambria County since 2009. She had served as the Domestic Violence prosecutor and was most recently serving as the Child Abuse/Sexual Assault Prosecutor. While in the DA’s Office, she was a part of the team that created an anonymous reporting protocol for sexual assault victims that is used as a template worldwide. She worked to create a child sexual assault/forensic interview protocol and helped to open a child advocacy center in Cambria County. Ms. Penna’s law career began over 24 years ago when, between 1998-2009, she was a criminal defense attorney, worked as a Judicial Law Clerk under the President Judge of Cambria County in the Court of Common Pleas as well as serving as the Juvenile Master for Cambria County. She also served as the court-appointed attorney for parole hearings from 2003-2009. Ms. Penna was an Adjunct Professor at Saint Francis University who taught instruction in the American Court System, Sociological Perspectives on Policing, and Litigation from 2013-2020. After receiving her B.A. Degree from Dickinson College, Ms. Penna received her Juris Doctor in December 1997 from the Widener University School of Law. Ms. Penna was nominated by Governor Wolf and was confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate on June 21, 2022. Ms. Penna was reappointed to a second term on May 6, 2024.
Elizabeth Bolton Penna, Esq.
