Penny Murphy
Paxton
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Food Program Coordinator
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
Champaign
08.2021 - Current
- Supervised food program activities, ensuring compliance through inspections, education, training, enforcement, and employee evaluations.
- Managed food program inspections, developed facility lists and progress-tracking systems on OneDrive to enhance operational oversight.
- Developed enforcement flowcharts based on ordinances and submitted quarterly/yearly reports to Illinois Department of Public Health.
- Key player in designing and implementing new inspection and billing system, streamlining processes through effective troubleshooting and testing.
Plan Review Program Coordinator
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
Champaign
07.2016 - 08.2021
- Led Plan Review program, overseeing staff and developing Plan Review Construction Guide to streamline compliance process.
- Evaluated plans for new restaurant construction, guiding operators to meet food code requirements and enhance safety standards.
- Conducted on-site inspections to verify adherence to health regulations, ensuring public safety and compliance.
Environmental Health Specialist (EHS II, I)
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
Champaign
06.2009 - 07.2016
- Conducted inspections to identify and mitigate food-borne illness risks in food service facilities, ensuring compliance with health regulations.
Director of Dining Services
Bridle Brook Assisted Living
Mahomet
11.2008 - 06.2009
- Managed recruitment, training, scheduling, ordering, and budgeting for dining services, optimizing departmental operations.
- Directed daily operations of dining services at assisted living community.
- Oversaw menu planning, ensuring nutritional needs were met for residents.
- Managed food safety protocols and sanitation standards across dining areas.
- Designed menus and guided kitchen construction ensuring compliance with health department regulations.
Owner/Manager/Bookkeeper
Murphy's Deli
Champaign
07.2007 - 09.2008
- Oversaw operations of independent restaurant, emphasizing hiring, training, payroll, and financial management to ensure smooth business functionality.
Sanitarian (I, IT)
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
Champaign
06.2005 - 07.2007
- Conducted inspections of food establishments for health code compliance.
- Investigated complaints related to health violations and provided recommendations.
- Participated in West Nile surveillance and executed tanning facility inspections, supporting public health initiatives and safety standards.
- Delivered food-borne illness and sanitation training, including food service sanitation manager renewal programs, enhancing knowledge and compliance among food service workers.
Environmental Health Specialist
Tri-County Health Department
Commerce City
11.2003 - 05.2005
- Conducted inspections of restaurants, childcare facilities, septic systems, and pools to ensure health and safety compliance.
- Provided food safety training to restaurant operators, enhancing their understanding of regulatory compliance requirements.
- Colorado
General Manager/Manager
Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus
Littleton
10.2001 - 11.2003
- Managed hiring, training, and performance of staff, aligning team capabilities with company sales and financial goals.
- Oversaw scheduling, payroll, budgeting, inventory, and ordering to maintain operational efficiency.
- Colorado
Pastry Chef
Philander’s
Oak Park
08.2000 - 09.2001
- Developed unique recipes for pastries and desserts, using seasonal ingredients.
Line Cook
One Sixty Blue
Chicago
02.2000 - 08.2000
- Prepared dishes in fast-paced environment working with teammates to maintain high customer satisfaction rate.
Research Specialist
University of Illinois
Urbana
06.1997 - 06.1998
- Performed breast cancer research with focus on DNA receptor isolation, cloning, and cell culture to advance understanding of cancer biology.
- Urbana, Illinois
Laboratory Technician
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale
06.1996 - 06.1997
- Conducted experiments and developed solutions for DNA isolation to enhance sample preparation.
- Carbondale, Illinois
Education
Associate of Occupational Studies - Culinary Arts & Restaurant Management
Scottsdale Culinary Institute
Scottsdale, Arizona01-2000
Bachelor of Arts - Biological Sciences, Minor in Chemistry
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, Illinois05-1996
Skills
- Leadership and time management
- Regulatory compliance and quality assurance
- Operational oversight and problem solving
- Attention to detail
- Environmental health regulations expertise
- Effective communication with staff and operators
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- Efficient organization
Licenses And Professional Organizations
- Licensed Environmental Health Practitioner, 02/2006 - present
- Illinois Association of Local Environmental Health Administrators, Secretary/Treasurer, 2026-2028, Director at Large, 2025-2026
Timeline
Food Program Coordinator
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
08.2021 - Current
Plan Review Program Coordinator
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
07.2016 - 08.2021
Environmental Health Specialist (EHS II, I)
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
06.2009 - 07.2016
Director of Dining Services
Bridle Brook Assisted Living
11.2008 - 06.2009
Owner/Manager/Bookkeeper
Murphy's Deli
07.2007 - 09.2008
Sanitarian (I, IT)
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
06.2005 - 07.2007
Environmental Health Specialist
Tri-County Health Department
11.2003 - 05.2005
General Manager/Manager
Stuart Anderson’s Black Angus
10.2001 - 11.2003
Pastry Chef
Philander’s
08.2000 - 09.2001
Line Cook
One Sixty Blue
02.2000 - 08.2000
Research Specialist
University of Illinois
06.1997 - 06.1998
Laboratory Technician
Southern Illinois University
06.1996 - 06.1997
Associate of Occupational Studies - Culinary Arts & Restaurant Management
Scottsdale Culinary Institute
Bachelor of Arts - Biological Sciences, Minor in Chemistry
Southern Illinois University