Mary Penny Kelley

Mary Penny Kelley is a collaborative leader with over twenty-five years of experience in implementing critical solutions, improving state government, and managing personnel.  As chief of staff for the N.C. Office of State Human Resources (OSHR), she acts as the senior counselor to Director Staci Meyer and oversees the Office’s administrative functions, which include communications, legislative affairs, finance, audit, and information technology.  

Most recently, Mary Penny served as secretary for the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, guiding the agency through the first 90 days of Hurricane Helene response that included search and rescue efforts, emergency measures to provide safe drinking water, stabilization of hazardous materials displaced by floodwaters, contact and support of regional staff directly affected by the disaster, and expedited hiring of engineers and environmental specialists to reduce vacancies and assist with disaster recovery.  

Prior to her cabinet secretary position, Mary Penny served as executive director of Hometown Strong, an initiative to connect rural communities with state, federal, and non-governmental resources.  In this role, she provided leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic by prioritizing active communication in rural communities.  She also prioritized resources for education, working in partnership with other state agencies to distribute high-speed internet mobile devices and digital curriculum for remote learning to every public school in need. Other partnerships resulted in a new program of grant-writing resources for small communities, the support of the state’s first Music Office, and North Carolina becoming an Age and Dementia Friendly State.

She began her public service career in 1997 in the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office where she represented the State in matters across a range of topics, including criminal appeals, environmental issues, and personnel matters. She was the first woman to serve as general counsel, then later, chief deputy secretary, for the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.  

From 2013-2016, she founded a small law firm that helped people plan their estates, open businesses, and navigate the complexities of government.

Mary Penny holds a Juris Doctorate from Tulane Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from North Carolina State University.

She lives with her husband in a historic farmhouse in Chatham County.