[4] Having served successfully as his campaign manager, Peden was appointed by Kentucky Governor Edward T. Breathitt as Commerce Commissioner in 1963.

Her departmental reforms and targeted campaign to recruit businesses to Kentucky led to the journal BusinessWeek coining her work as "Pedenblitz.

"[5] By the end of her four years in that position, "150,000 new jobs had been created, unemployment in Kentucky was cut in half and personal income had increased by 30 percent.

[7] Peden lost the general election to Republican Marlow Cook of Louisville by a 51.4 to 47.6 percent margin.

[1] President Jimmy Carter appointed her in 1978 to the Executive Committee of the White House Conference on Balanced Growth and Economic Development.

The Phelps Dodge Company was recruited by Peden to Hopkinsville and upon the development of the first Pembroke Road Industrial Park, a street is named in her honor.