Senator Irene Wrenner is the daughter of a Lutheran pastor and an English teacher. She attended public schools in Phillipsburg, NJ and graduated from Cornell University with a BS in industrial and labor relations. She has worked in the fields of communication, human resources, and information technology.
Irene began her Personal Puzzles business in 1993, creating hundreds of custom-shaped crosswords for business and special events, including one that was published in the liner notes of the 1999 Grammy Award Winner for Best Recording package. She founded the Essex ReTorter in 2020 to report on local government. Her Fairness First PAC was a 2021 Reed Awards Finalist in its Homespun Video category.
Irene served in Essex government from 2005 to 2022, including positions on the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, the Essex Energy Committee, and 12 years on the Selectboard, in which she never missed a meeting. She led nine successful grassroots campaigns to improve communication, transparency, and fairness in taxation and representation for 22,000 Essex residents. She also volunteered at the Essex Jericho Underhill Ministry food shelf, two preschool boards, Meals on Wheels, and the Transition Town Jericho Steering Committee.
In her spare time, Irene enjoys outdoor tennis, singing, and learning to play bridge. She attends various local and regional government meetings. She and her husband, Kevin, have a grown daughter and son.