Penny Ronning

Penny Ronning is a nationally recognized anti trafficking advocate and policy strategist known for turning survivor informed insight into laws that dismantle exploitation networks and strengthen public safety. The daughter of a trafficking survivor, Penny, brings personal perspective and more than three decades of leadership advancing protections for victims and accountability for offenders.  

She is co-founder and president of the Yellowstone Human Trafficking Task Force, Montana’s largest anti trafficking coalition. Through her policy work, Penny has helped pass 13 state laws and 5 federal bills strengthening anti trafficking and exploitation statutes and expanding investigative capacity.  

While serving on the Billings City Council, Penny authored and led passage of a landmark ordinance targeting illicit massage businesses operating as fronts for trafficking. At the time, Billings had more illicit massage businesses per capita than New York City. Within one year, the ordinance shut down all known illicit massage businesses in Billings and remains a powerful tool for closing new operations as they emerge. The ordinance has been cited as a model for how local governments disrupt organized exploitation.  

Penny is a national speaker, former congressional nominee, and recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award. Her leadership has also been recognized with two invitations to the White House.