Penelope's background also includes significant experience in finance and budget analysis. She spent nearly five years at the Illinois State Board of Education as a Senior Budget Analyst, where she developed and managed an annual budget exceeding $20 billion. Her role involved projecting programmatic and agency needs, and providing leadership to junior analysts. Additionally, she served as a James H. Dunn, Jr. Memorial Fellow in the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, where she made budgetary recommendations to the Governor and monitored all requests and expenditures for the higher education agencies in Illinois.

Penelope earned her Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2024, and earned a Certificate in Advocacy. During her time at Loyola, Penelope was recognized for her academic excellence, earning a CALI Award for the highest grade in Legal Writing II and making the Dean’s List multiple  semesters. She was a member of the Loyola Spong Moot Court Team, served as a Senior Tutor for first year legal writing courses, and as a Staff Editor for the Loyola Consumer Law Review.

With her extensive legal training and experience in budget management, Penelope A. Pentzas is poised to make meaningful contributions to the legal profession and beyond.