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Our Team

RUPCO’s leadership team is comprised of a five-member Executive Council led by Kevin O’Connor, our Chief Executive Officer. Our leadership team brings a high level of expertise and commitment to navigate the complexities of housing and community development.

To learn more, click on the headshots for bio information.

Kevin O'Connor

Chief Executive Officer

Kevin O'Connor

Chief Executive Officer

Kevin O’Connor has served as RUPCO’s Chief Executive Officer since 2002. With 32 years of experience in the housing sector, Mr. O’Connor has transformed communities in the Hudson Valley through the development of supportive and affordable housing that includes multigenerational, artist and homeless housing, homeownership, and commercial units. Mr. O’Connor serves on the board of directors of Pattern for Progress and the National NeighborWorks Association.

Prior to joining RUPCO, Mr. O’Connor served as the Associate Executive Director at Hudson River Housing in Poughkeepsie, New York. Mr. O’Connor holds a B.A. in Communications from Marist College and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Achieving Excellence in Community Development program.

Sheila Kilpatrick Headshot

Sheila Kilpatrick

Chief Operating Officer

Sheila Kilpatrick Headshot

Sheila Kilpatrick

Chief Operating Officer

Sheila Kilpatrick joined RUPCO in 2015 as Vice President of Operations and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in December 2020. Ms. Kilpatrick’s oversees RUPCO’s Property Management, Rental Assistance, Program Services and Human Resources units. Ms. Kilpatrick is a graduate from Ulster Leadership Development Institute and sits on the Board of Resource Center for Accessible Living (RCAL), where she serves as Treasurer.

Prior to joining RUPCO, Ms. Kilpatrick served as the Director of Human Resources and the Director of Housing for Hudson River Housing in Poughkeepsie. Ms. Kilpatrick is a graduate from Ulster Leadership Development Institute.

Jennifer Brown, CFO

Jennifer Brown

Chief Financial Officer

Jennifer Brown, CFO

Jennifer Brown

Chief Financial Officer

Jennifer Brown joined RUPCO in October 2022 as Chief Financial Officer.

Prior to joining RUPCO, Jen was the Associate Controller at Bard College. During her tenure at Bard, she managed the accounting staff, the annual budget and audit and also taught Accounting!

A graduate of Marist College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Jennifer went on to obtain her MBA with a concentration in Accounting from Fitchburg State University.

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Faith Moore

Senior Vice President of Operations & Strategy

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Faith Moore

Senior Vice President of Operations & Strategy

Faith Moore is the Senior Vice President of Operations & Strategy for RUPCO, Inc. and the Executive Director of Orange County Rural Development Advisory Corporation (RDAC), a subsidiary of RUPCO.  Faith is a vital executive leadership team member working closely with the Chief Operating Officer to help facilitate operations.

Faith oversees RDAC, RUPCO’s NeighborWorks Homeownership Center, Rural Preservation activities, RUPCO facilities, and their staff, as well as manages IT and contract services.

Faith holds a Master of Science in Community and Economic Development. She is a HUD Certified Housing Counseling and holds a professional certification in Homeownership and Community Lending through NeighborWorks America.

Faith graduated from Leadership Orange, is an Orange County Rising Star, and a Pattern Fellow. She served the Village of Walden Zoning Board of Appeals and Walden’s Village Board of Trustees as Deputy Mayor.  She is a proud member of NY Rural Housing Coalition’s Governor Affairs Committee and STEPS Mentor at Grace Community Church and serves as registration coordinator for Orange County Leadership Prayer Breakfast.

Faith is a happy resident in the Village of Montgomery, where she spends time with her pride and joy, Granddaughter Abigail Ann.

Emma Hambright

Vice President of Social and Human Services

Emma Hambright

Vice President of Social and Human Services

Emma Hambright joined RUPCO in 2021 as the Vice President for Social and Human Services. Ms. Hambright is a civil rights attorney specializing in advocating for services and supports for vulnerable populations. Ms. Hambright is licensed to practice law in California and Washington DC, with a pending license in New York. She brings with her an extensive background in state and federally funded social and human services programs, working for legal and community-based non-profits and state agencies to design and enforce service provision, quality management, licensing, community integration, fair housing, reasonable accommodations, and individual rights enforcement.