Judge Penny Reynolds Brown, Secretary of State

She is the proud daughter of a single mother and the granddaughter of a farmer who taught her the values of faith, hard work, and dignity. From those humble beginnings, she learned that integrity matters, justice must be pursued with courage, and that no title carries more weight than simply being a servant of the people.

​Raised in the South, she watched her mother persevere through hardship with grace, and she watched her grandfather rise early, pray hard, and work even harder. Their example shaped her purpose. She faced obstacles like most Georgians. Judge Penny had to earn everything she had, and that taught her the honor in working hard… and the wisdom in working smart. Rather than allowing those struggles to define her, she transformed them into fuel for her journey. Each challenge became a lesson, each setback a stepping stone, preparing her for every role she would later hold: attorney, judge, professor, public servant, pastor, and national leader. That’s why she never forgot where she came from. That’s why she connects with every day people.

​That calling led her to break barriers and make history. She worked her way through college and law school and went on to become the first African American to serve as Executive Counsel to a Georgia Governor having previously served as the first African American Chief of Staff and Executive Counsel to the Lieutenant Governor.

​Her journey led her to become one of Georgia’s youngest judges, where she served with honor for nearly a decade in Fulton County. She earned a reputation for fairness and clarity on the bench—so much so that not a single one of her criminal rulings was ever overturned. That experience deepened her belief that the law should serve people, not power.