The Board of Directors of the Orange County Partnership is pleased to announce that Michael J. Gilfeather will serve as its new Chair succeeding Robert Kaehler.

Mr. Kaehler stated, “It’s been a distinct honor to have served as the Chairman of the Board for the last two years and as such it’s with greatest confidence that our new Chairman Mike Gilfeather will carry on the extraordinary work the Partnership does at the highest level. Mike is a true leader and understands the importance of economic development for the betterment of Orange County and I wish him all the best in his new role.”

Since March 2014, Mr. Gilfeather has served as President & CEO of Orange Bank & Trust Company and the bank’s holding company Orange County Bancorp, Inc.(OCBI).Additionally, he is a director of Hudson Valley Investment Advisors, a wholly owned subsidiary of OCBI.

Prior to joining Orange Bank & Trust Company, Mr. Gilfeather was the Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice President of Hudson Valley Bank, where he was directly responsible for the branch network, training and development, human resources and the bank’s Trust department. He was part of the team responsible for Hudson Valley Bank’s growth and transformation into a $2.6 Billion, 28 branch banking operation. Prior to joining Hudson Valley Bank in 2005, Mr. Gilfeather was with The Bank of New York for 20 years, where he was the Senior Manager for all retail banking in Manhattan. He graduated from Union College and holds an MBA from Pace University.

Mr. Gilfeather was born in Red Hook, New York, and now resides in Middletown. He is a board member of the New York Bankers Association.

Maureen Halahan, President & CEO of the Partnership stated, “The Partnership’s Board of Directors includes many of the Hudson Valley’s strongest business leaders that use their talent and expertise to bring economic development to the highest level. My staff and I enthusiastically welcome Mr. Gilfeather and look forward to continued success under his leadership.”