about audrey
Hi, I’m Audrey Denney!
Educator, nonprofit leader, and lifelong advocate for rural communities.
ROOTED IN COMMUNITY
I grew up on a family farm on the Central Coast of California, where my parents planted some of the first wine grapes in the Paso Robles area. We raised beef cattle and had a team of Percheron draft horses. I spent my youth active in 4-H and FFA, eventually serving as a California State FFA Officer and earning my American Farmer Degree.
I moved to Chico in the heart of California’s North Valley in 2003 for college, and it quickly became my hometown. I earned my bachelor’s in Agri-Science and Education from Chico State, and later a master’s in Agricultural Education. I’ve worked on the University Farm, poured beers at Sierra Nevada, and spent five years as a lecturer and outreach coordinator for the College of Agriculture, helping students fall in love with ag and with Chico just like I did.
After college, I spent a year in rural El Salvador learning Spanish, studying tropical agriculture, volunteering with the human rights organization, Cristosal, and launching a youth garden club where young people learned to grow and sell their own food. My experience in Central America changed my life. It deepened my understanding of systemic inequality and sparked a lifelong commitment to justice. I later served on Cristosal’s board for six years, including a term as president, supporting their mission to defend human rights across Central America. That work shaped the human rights-based lens I bring to every decision I make, whether it’s about food systems, public policy, or community well-being.
Back in Chico, I spent six years with a consulting firm designing learning experiences for organizations like the World Bank and the National FFA. In 2021, I launched my own business, The Denney Group, and now partner with nonprofits and food banks across the country to strengthen their systems, teams, and strategies. I’ve worked with a number of organizations doing good across the country, including Feeding America. I love that my work brings together my passions for food, justice, and community.
These days, I live in downtown Chico with my two cats, Nash and Harper Eleanor. I spend my free time puttering in my greenhouse, gardening, and reading. I have proudly served as the Chair of the Democratic Action Club of Chico, and currently sit on the board of a local food pantry and teach in the College of Communications and Education at Chico State.
Chico is my forever home. I am deeply invested in making it, and our country, a better place for everyone.
running for a better future
I first ran for Congress in 2018 and again in 2020 because I believed then, as I do now, that Northern California deserves representation rooted in integrity, compassion, and a deep understanding of the challenges our communities face.
Back then, I wasn’t a political insider. I was a teacher, a consultant, and a neighbor who had spent my career helping people and organizations grow stronger. I stepped up because I saw a better path forward, one that put people over politics and prioritized real solutions over partisan noise.
I stepped up because i saw a better path forward — one that put people over politics and prioritized real solutions over partisan noise.
We built two powerful grassroots campaigns fueled by thousands of volunteers and donors across the district. We knocked on doors, made phone calls, and held town halls in every corner of California’s First District. We came closer than anyone ever had to flipping Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s seat. But more than that, we changed the conversation. We made people feel seen, heard, and hopeful again.
Since then, I’ve never stopped doing the work. Whether it’s been helping food banks strengthen their systems, serving on the board of a local food pantry, or standing up for our democracy here in Butte County, I’ve remained rooted in service and committed to creating positive change.
I’m proud of where we’ve been, and even more excited about where we’re going!
