Penny Nixon served as the Senior Minister of the Congregational Church of San Mateo (CCSM) from 2007–2022 and was honored with the title of Minister Emerita upon her retirement from pastoral ministry.  She was the first woman to hold that position and with her leadership CCSM thrived as a vibrant, progressive spiritual community, became known for its work in social justice, received the MLK award from the county of San Mateo and became a sanctuary church.  She also served as the pastor of an LGBTQ church in San Francisco for 12 years.

A community leader and political activist, she has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work in both San Francisco and San Mateo, the most recent being named 2019 Woman of the Year for Assembly District 22.  She also is the founder and co-director of the Peninsula Solidarity Cohort, a group of 40 interfaith clergy engaged in addressing the most pressing social needs in San Mateo County.  Currently, Penny works as the Faith Director with Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo and the Faith Communities Housing Liaison for the County of San Mateo.