Kathleen Leahy honored in Atlanta with Property Management Certification

March 6, 2013 - PRLog -- Kathleen Leahy, Chief Operating Officer of RUPCO (www.rupco.org), was recognized in Atlanta in February for earning the Professional Certificate in Asset Management designation, culminating a seven year period of practice, study and planning in the field.   The award/certification was given by the Consortium for Housing and Asset Management (CHAM), which is a collaboration of three major, national level housing organizations - NeighborWorks® America, the Enterprise Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).  

Supporting Affordable Housing Needs with Industry Best Practices.

Receiving this CHAM designation is an honor not only for Leahy, but for RUPCO as well, according to CEO Kevin O’Connor who said “RUPCO is proud to have Kathy as part of our team. Her achievement of the professional level designation in property management is a direct reflection of her hard work and commitment to bettering the lives of people in need of housing in our community.”   He went on to note that the skills she has acquired and developed through this training program will no doubt contribute to better management of the 374 affordable housing units that RUPCO is responsible for.  “Our funders, communities and residents can be confident that when RUPCO manages a property, they get the most current best practices in the industry, applied to the property being managed.

Leahy took an intensive five day Nonprofit Housing Management Specialist Course seven years ago then followed up consecutively with five additional required asset management courses and several elective courses.  To earn her certification, she completed the final course, Advanced Housing Asset Management and then submitted a detailed portfolio project outlining an asset management plan for one of the properties RUPCO manages.  Leahy started her career at RUPCO in 2000 as Controller and was promoted to Assistant Executive Director before being named Chief Operating Officer in 2012.  In addition to general oversight of day to day operation, Leahy directly supervises Property Management, Rental Assistance and Program Services for RUPCO.

Industry Leaders Teach Skills that Benefit Community Organizations.

The Consortium for Housing and Asset Management is a collaboration of the leaders in the fields of nonprofit affordable housing production and community development. Their mission is to better enable community-based organizations and others in the nonprofit housing industry to responsibly own and professionally manage affordable rental housing. Upon earning the designation of the CHAM, participants, including Leahy, foster skills in a number of areas. This includes: evaluating performance of real estate assets, develop asset management plans specific to their organization’s goals, effectively interpret and manage data, human resources, and partnerships to maximize property assets, just to name a few.  

RUPCO is one of the region’s premier housing agencies and has delivered housing services in the Hudson Valley for more than 30 years.  More information on RUPCO is available at 845-331-2140 or www.rupco.org