Penny Lorenz
Assistant Director
Penny has spoken at well over 10,000 schools, businesses, and organizations in Missouri and across the country. Penny has been featured at numerous state and national conferences. She has received numerous awards, both locally and nationally, for her accomplishments, including the National Lifesavers Award, Missouri's Best Award, Toastmasters International Community Leadership Award, Altrusa International Celebration of Service Award,  Outstanding Personal Achievement Award from Gateway to a Cure. While receiving this  award in St. Louis, Penny met late actor Christopher Reeve, who also received an award.  She was one of nine women to win the 2005 Missouri University Tribute to Outstanding Women’s Award, and most recently she received the first University Health Care’s Hope & Spirit Award.

E-mail Penny at lorenzp@health.missouri.edu.

Penny Lorenz is a phenomenal person.  She's energetic, charismatic, captivating, sensitive, and very approachable.  She's truly "one in a million."

An exceptional motivational speaker, Penny has inspired thousands of people across the country with her intriguing personal testimony. In 1982, Penny was involved in a traumatic car crash. She was an unbelted passenger and less than a half mile from her driveway when she received a spinal cord injury that paralyzed her from the waist down. She was 17.

She now is the Assistant Director for ThinkFirst Missouri, at the University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Medicine. Penny speaks to children, adolescents, and adults at injury prevention/safety programs across the state and nationwide.

In addition, Penny directs two other programs at ThinkFirst Missouri: the statewide Corporate/Community Traffic Safety Program and the Traffic Offenders Program. 

Penny was crowned the first Ms. Wheelchair USA at a national pageant in Orlando, Florida.  She’s been featured in numerous magazines, including New Mobility, LIFE, and Women’s World.    

To arrange a presentation, call Penny at (573) 882-1176 or send e-mail to: lorenzp@health.missouri.edu.   

Penny’s Awards

• 2006 University of Missouri Health Care Hope and Spirit Award
• 2005 Columbia SAFE KIDS Award of Excellence
• 2005 Tribute to MU’s Outstanding Women’s Award
• 2003 Brain Injury Association of Missouri, Service Excellence Award
• 2002 National ThinkFirst Speaker of the Year
• 2002 ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation State Chapter of the Year Award
• 2002 Columbia SAFE KIDS Excellence Award
• 2000 Proclamation from Governor Mel Carnahan commemorating 20 years of successful injuryPrevention programming
• 2000 Missouri Senate Resolution from Senator Ken Jacob
• 2000 Missouri House of Representatives Resolution from Representative Chuck Graham
• 2000 Missouri Head Injury Advisory Council Exemplary Program Achievement Award
• 2000 Millennium Promise Award
• 1998 Appreciation in Disability Awareness Award, Internal Revenue Service
• 1997 Appreciation in Disability Awareness Award, Federal Council Employment of Individuals With Disabilities
• 1997 National Outstanding Personal Achievement Award           
• 1996 Triumph of the Human Spirit Award for contribution to the community of Columbia
• 1996 Altrusa International Celebration of Service Award, for outstanding contribution in Education
• 1996 Featured in HBO Special “Without Pity”
• 1996 Recipient “Key To The City” Shreveport, LA
• 1995 Toastmasters International Communication & Leadership Award
• 1995 The First Ms. Wheelchair U.S.A Title
• 1995 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator’s Highway Safety Program of Excellence Award for youth programs
• 1995 Easter Seals Personal Achievement Award
• 1994 Missouri Head Injury Advisory Council Award, for outstanding contributions
• 1993 Ms Wheelchair Missouri title
• 1993 Second runner up Ms Wheelchair America
• 1993 Personal Achievement Award, Howard A. Rusk Rehabilitation Center
• 1993 ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation Certificate of Appreciation
• 1992 Personal Achievement Award, Howard A. Rusk Rehabilitation Center
• 1992 National Disability Employment Awareness Award
• 1991 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Public Service Award
• 1991 Missouri’s Best Award
• 1991 Missouri Division of Highway Safety Comprehensive Traffic Safety Award
• 1990 Missouri Coalition for Safety Belt Use Outstanding Service Award
• 1986 Featured in National Award winning film “Harms Way”

Memberships (Current)

• Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety
• Missouri Representative for National Association of Women Highway Safety Leaders
• Columbia SAFE KIDS Coalition
• Missouri Advocates For Traffic Safety
• University of Missouri PEER LINK Advisory Board
• Columbia Catholic School – fundraising committee
• Services for Independent Living, Board of Directors

Memberships (Former)

• Columbia Safety Council – president, vice president, secretary
• Altrusa International of Columbia, Inc.
• Carousel Preschool Board of Directors
• Carousel Preschool Board of Directors – Fundraising Chair Director
• Missouri Model Spinal Cord Injury System Advisory Board
• University of Missouri Disability Awareness Committee
• National ThinkFirst Foundation Board of Directors
• Independent Living Advisory Committee
• Missouri State Independent Living Council
• National Spinal Cord Injury Peer Support Network
• Columbia Area Rights Coalition
• ThinkFirst task force on remake of national injury prevention film