Carrying out Mayoral Duties is nothing new for Godalming Councillor Penny Rivers.

She was voted in as the 2025/2026 Mayor of Waverley, having worn the chain of office in 2023/2024 along with her consort, Cllr Paul Rivers. She has also served as Mayor of Godalming four times. 

But could she be the last due to impending local government reorganisation or… could it be her Deputy, David Munro?

Penny was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She moved to England in 1974.

She married Paul in 1979 at St. Peter & St. Paul’s Parish Church.

Penny is the mother of four (now adult) children, all of whom attended local state schools.

Penny was elected to Godalming Town Council in 1995 and served on five administrations by 2023, four times as Mayor of the Town. She was elected to Waverley Borough Council in 2019 and served as Mayor of Waverley from 2023 to 2024.

Penny is currently the Surrey County Councillor for Godalming North.

David Munro was elected as the Mayor’s running mate and became Deputy Mayor for the coming year.

A former chairman of Surrey County Council, he was elected to Waverley in a by-election in May 2022.

He has lived in the ward for over 30 years and has had a long career as a local councillor in Farnham, culminating in a term as Chairman of Surrey County Council from 2013 to 2015. He was Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner from 2016 to 2021.
He is active in local community affairs, serving as a volunteer in the Frensham Village Shop and as Treasurer of the Village Lunch.

He is also a Trustee of Farnham’s youth project, 40 Degreez, and of the Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum.
In his spare time, he cycles, walks and rings church bells.