Leadership Team
The HUP Leadership Team guides the Partnership’s direction and strengthens relationships between the two institutions.
Hennepin County Members
University of Minnesota Members
HUP Staff
The HUP office is financially supported by both the University of Minnesota and Hennepin County and is staffed by a full-time director, a senior project manager, and student assistants. HUP staff shape partnership strategy and identify and support opportunities for collaboration through events, relationship building, project evaluation, administrative assistance, and more.
As Director of the Hennepin-University Partnership (HUP), Amy oversees the strategic connection between one of the largest urban land-grant universities and one of the most populous and innovative counties in the nation.
She holds a master’s degree in social work from Portland State University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from The Ohio State University. In her off-time, Amy enjoys running, ceramics, and exploring the outdoors with her husband and daughter.
As Senior Project Manager at HUP, Margaret supports collaborative projects between Hennepin County and the University of Minnesota.
Margaret recently completed the Master of Public Policy program at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. During the program, Margaret held multiple roles, including serving as a HUP Evaluation Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant under Dr. Ed Goetz, and Teaching Assistant at the Humphrey School.
Margaret brings prior experience as a dynamic facilitator and project manager as a Project Management Senior Associate at Turnberry Solutions. In that role, Margaret supported cross-functional teams, managed budgets, tracked deliverables, and fostered collaboration.
In their free time, Margaret enjoys reading, mountain biking, and exploring Minnesota’s many state parks.
Chayton is a senior at the University of Minnesota studying Strategic Communications, Spanish Studies, and Gender, Women, and Sexualities Studies. As student administrative assistant, Chayton utilizes a range of communication strategies to strengthen University–county relations and expand HUP’s impact.
With extensive hands-on experience supporting local Hennepin communities through volunteer work with Latino Youth Development Collaborative, Special Olympics, and more, he is committed to fostering environments full of inclusion and equity. Chayton concurrently interns in event production at the University of Minnesota Foundation, supporting critical fundraising initiatives through research, planning, and execution. He also is a part of the University’s Chapter of PRSSA as a board member, engaging current and prospective members through website development.
In his free time, Chayton loves to stay active and busy; whether that’s cooking up a new meal, being outdoors, or spending meaningful time with friends and family.
Sophia is a second-year master's student at the Humphrey School studying human rights with a focus on carceral policy. As a research assistant at HUP, Sophia supports communications and event coordination.
Sophia holds a graduate certificate in community leadership from CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies. She has previous experience as a strategic communications specialist, a Graduate Research Assistant under Dr. Tricia Olsen, and a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Sociology. She enjoys reading, traveling, and aviation.