Meet the Staff

As President, Kate is responsible for working with the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, community businesses and organizations, developing event and professional development programs.  She oversees the Chamber membership, marketing, member benefits, finance, strategic planning and government relations and coordinates activities for a staff of five. Under her leadership, the Chamber was the proud recipient of the "2020 Chamber of the Year" presented by The Business Council of New York State.

Kate joined the Chamber team in 2009, and has served our members in a variety of capacities prior to serving as President. Throughout her tenure, Kate has overseen the promotion of the Chamber’s brand and marketing efforts as well as the creation and production of the Chamber’s robust series of member programs and special events. She has served in roles of member engagement and business development for the organization. In addition, she managed the Chamber’s award-wining Leadership Institute, a skills-based leadership program that utilizes a “learning from leaders” approach to strengthen and develop participants’ skill-sets as they advance professionally within their organizations.

A proud alum of Siena College, Kate holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in writing and philosophy. She is the 2013 recipient of the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region Resourceful Women’s Emerging Professional Award and a member of the Albany Business Review's 40 under 40 Class of 2017. Kate is an active board member of Unity House of Troy, Inc., the Troy Business Improvement District and the Chamber Alliance of New York State (CANYS). Additionally, she serves on the Leadership Committee for Women United, an initiative of the United Way of the Greater Capital Region. She currently resides in Troy with her husband and young daughter. Connect with Kate on LinkedIn!

Rachel Brandenberg joins the team as the Chamber's Executive Assistant to the President and Office Manager. In this role, she is responsible for serving as a liaison to the Board of Directors, participants of the Leadership Institute, guests for CEO Roundtables and other initiatives.  Rachel also manages the Chamber office including reception, mail, phones, generation of monthly invoices and statements, conference room booking, as well as the President’s calendar.  Rachel takes care of coordination with office vendors and upkeep of the member records in our database.

Rachel has accumulated over 8 years of marketing, administrative, and IT experience throughout several industries. A native of Troy, Rachel graduated from The College of Saint Rose where she studied business and marketing.  When not working secularly, Rachel enjoys her time as a volunteer Bible teacher and spending as much time outdoors as possible.

Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn!

Stephanie Fitch is the Controller for the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce, a position she has held since November 2000. She is responsible for management of all internal financial operations of the Chamber including supervision of cash flow, audit of health insurance transactions, oversight of investments and preparation of the budget. Stephanie holds a B.S. in Finance from Siena College. Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn! 

Matt Jensen joins the team as the Chamber's Membership Sales Manager. In his role, he is responsible for contacting and recruiting new members from businesses, organizations, municipalities and other entities throughout Rensselaer County and the greater Capital Region. Matt also works to ensure current members of the Chamber have a deep and thorough understanding of the valuable benefits that come along with their membership.

Matt has amassed over 7 years of outside sales experience across different industries. A native of Schaghticoke, Matt graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh where he studied business, marketing and management. In his free time, Matt enjoys traveling, hiking and rooting for his Las Vegas Raiders. He currently resides in Albany with his wife Jenny and their son Max. Connect with Matt on LinkedIn! 

Alicia Osur coordinates and oversees events, sponsorships, and advertising for the Chamber as the Events Specialist.  She develops and manages a varied portfolio including networking events, training workshops, speaker panels, Annual Dinner, Van Rensselaer Awards Dinner, Golf Classic and Victorian Stroll.  Alicia works with businesses and civic organizations to tailor sponsorship and advertising packages to meet their objectives, whether for a stand-alone event or program series.  Her primary goal is to ensure every event is designed to serve the needs of members and continue to produce quality and relevant programming the Chamber has long been associated with providing.

Prior to her tenure at the Chamber, Alicia worked at SUNY Schenectady as the Director of Events and Community Engagement where she developed and oversaw internal and external events for up to 2,400 people and developed culturally diverse-community partnerships for the College.

Her life-long commitment for volunteering and service includes the Boys and Girls Club of Schenectady and Shaker Road-Loudonville Fire Department Auxiliary.  As a member of Meeting Professionals Internationals (MPI) Upstate New York, Alicia serves on the Board as the Chapter’s Vice President of Communications.

Alicia was honored to be the recipient of two awards; the Capital Region YMCA “Adult Achiever” and the MPI Upstate New York Chapter’s “Volunteer of the Year." She was recognized by Please Remember Me, a veteran’s organization, for her volunteer work on their behalf. Alicia graduated from the University of Rochester with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.  She resides in Albany with her husband, Scott. Connect with Alicia on LinkedIn!