City Connect Detroit: Bio

Penny Bailer has served as Executive Director of City Year Detroit since 2001, responsible for Michigan’s largest AmeriCorps program, through which over 500 young adult corps members have served full time for up to two school years each, providing tutoring and after school program to thousands of school children as well as physical clean up/beautification services and civic engagement activities to lead and inspire volunteerism.

She served for over 17 years as Executive Director of the Michigan Metro Girl Scout Council in Detroit and was elected to the Detroit Board of Education, serving from 1990-94. Ms. Bailer earned an MBA in 1989 from the Advanced Management/Executive MBA Program at MSU and a BFA in Music/Piano Performance from UGA, near her hometown of Atlanta.

She currently serves on the governing boards of several Detroit nonprofits including Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, New Detroit, Communities in Schools, Detroit Urban League, ARISE Detroit, City Connect Detroit and the Detroit Community/Union Leaders Collaborative, among several others championing youth and Detroit’s revitalization.

Continue to Project Partners