Anthony Penland

Anthony Penland is a lifelong resident of Swannanoa, North Carolina. He graduated from Charles D. Owen High in 1986 and went on to study accounting, business administration, and history at Montreat-Anderson College and the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Penland began his career in public service in 1990 as a volunteer firefighter with the Swannanoa Volunteer Fire Department, where he was appointed Fire Chief in 2001. He holds an Associate Degree in Fire Protection Technology from Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Service Administration from Fayetteville State University. Penland has served in various leadership roles, including as president of the North Carolina State Firefighters' Association and the Buncombe County Fire Chief's Association. He previously ran for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in 2022.