Penelope “Penny” Sissom, the longest-serving city employee and the first female personnel director in Tennessee, will retire Friday. Sissom is Oak Ridge’s personnel director, and she has worked for the city for 52 years.

On June 8, 1964, Sissom accepted a job as a personnel clerk and embarked on a career-long journey with the City of Oak Ridge as a community activist and a devoted employee, a press release said.

During her time with the city, Sissom helped organize the schools’ Student-in-Government Day. She played a significant role during the successful campaign for a new public library and community recreation center.

Sissom’s unadulterated passion for community engagement and leadership skills accelerated her career, the press release said. She was promoted from human resources manager, to personnel administrator, to personnel director, the position she holds today. [Read more…]