Carolyn Penn serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at SOME. With more than two decades of service to the organization and eighteen years of human resources experience. Carolyn is a trusted change agent and strategic leader, guiding a full-service human resources function that includes employee engagement, workforce planning, total rewards, employee relations, learning and development, compliance, and talent acquisition.
Carolyn holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Management and maintains several professional credentials, including SHRM-CP and PHR certifications. Carolyn is a member of SHRM. She is also a Certified Plan Sponsor fiduciary through PSCA, a member of SOME’s Retirement Plan Financial Advisor Committee, and a commissioned Notary Public for the State of Maryland.
Before transitioning into human resources leadership, Carolyn spent five years in SOME’s Family Services Department, serving as a Family Services Case Manager, Program Manager, and Director. This early programmatic experience continues to inform her people-first approach and deep commitment to mission-aligned leadership.
Under her leadership, SOME’s total rewards, benefits, and wellness programs were recognized as Best-in-Class by Gallagher in 2023 and 2025. Carolyn has received numerous individual honors, including SOME’s Employee of the Year (2011), the Griffin Service Award for Service Excellence (2014), recognition from DCA Live for HR Leadership (2025), and recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Among Professionals (2025) for her work in the inclusion space. In 2023, she was named a finalist for Social Impact Top 25 Women to Watch by Nonprofit HR.
Carolyn is a proud wife and mother who enjoys mentoring emerging leaders, volunteering in her community, creative writing, and music of all genres. She lives by the mantra: “Be the change you want to see, and always pour into someone along the way.”
