A brief overview of who we are and what we do...
Parish Property Management, Inc. (PPM) is a facilities management company founded to serve religious communities and institutions. We fully understand and anticipate the unique needs of our clients and consistently deliver outstanding results in all areas of facilities management. PPM’s mission is to manage our clients’ buildings to better serve their mission.
While working for the Catholic Archdiocese of New York, William J. O’Connor became familiar with the challenges faced by religious institutions in managing their buildings and properties. Older buildings and limited financial resources lead to much deferred maintenance. Additionally, changing demographics and the corresponding evolving needs of religious communities caused many buildings to become functionally obsolete. The tough decision to close or sell such properties versus restore or renovate them for adaptive re-use is a complex issue. Furthermore, maintaining and modernizing the systems of older buildings was taxing shrinking patrimonies.
In December 2003, O’Connor founded PPM to offer professional counsel and his unique experience to institutions with large building portfolios but little professional internal structure to manage the capital projects typically associated with such portfolios. Upon accepting his resignation, the Archdiocese of New York tendered a consulting agreement with PPM and became its first client. Today, PPM’s staff manages hundreds of religious and education properties throughout the Continental United States and the Caribbean Islands. In addition to the Archdiocese of New York, among its Catholic clients are the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Redemptorist Fathers, Holy Child Sisters, Ursuline Sisters, Carmelite Nuns, Christian Brothers, the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of Newark. PPM manages many Episcopal and Presbyterian Churches throughout the tri-state area including the National office of the Episcopal Church in mid-town, NYC. PPM also serves many clients in private industry.
William J. O’Connor earned his Bachelor and Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College in New York. O’Connor spent twenty years working at the Building Commission of the Archdiocese of New York, first as a Field Engineer and the last ten years as Director. At the Archdiocese, O’Connor managed over 2,000 religious buildings spread over 500 locations, developing strong facilities management skills and business acumen during his tenure. He is a current member of the Committee of Catholic Facilities Management (CCFM) and has served on its Board of Directors. In addition, O’Connor is an active member of the International Facility Managers Association (IFMA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
O’Connor has given many lectures to Religious Organizations on the unique challenges they face in facilities management. Some of his more popular topics include:
- Strategic Planning for Religious Properties
- "Forecasting Capital Repairs for Houses of Worship"
- “Preparing Fundraising Case Statements for Educational Facilities"
- "The Salvage and Re-Cycling of Art, Stained Glass, and Liturgical Appointments for New Churches"
- "Capital Repairs and Preservation of Landmark Buildings"
- "What your Sexton should know about your Church"
- "The Ten Commandments of Managing a Construction Project"
PPM was pleased to add William R. Kirwan as a partner in July of 2006. Kirwan earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Manhattan College in 1984, after attending the prestigious Regis High School in New York. Kirwan worked for the NYC Fire Department for ten years, six years as a firefighter and four years in the FDNY's elite OSHA Unit. Among Bill’s responsibilities was the establishment and implementation of an asbestos maintenance program for firehouses in all five boroughs of New York City. In addition to acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of hazardous materials in a building environment, Bill gained expert knowledge in the area of fire safety and regulations.
After taking early retirement in 1996, Kirwan became Facility Manager of St. Raymond’s Parish in the Bronx, New York. In addition to managing eight buildings (two High Schools, one Elementary School, the Church, Covent, Brother Residence,, Community Outreach Center and the Parish Annex), Kirwan supervised the operations of St. Raymond’s Cemetery, one of the largest Catholic Cementeries in New York.
In 2003, Kirwan accepted the position of Facility Manager for St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Mid-Town Manhattan. At St. Patrick’s, Kirwan oversaw all management functions of the Cathedral including security, building operation and maintenance, purchasing and the Usher staff. Kirwan also managed scores of capital projects including the construction of a new Gothic Shrine to Our Lady of Czestochowa. Besides being a landmark Church, St. Patrick’s Cathedral is indeed a huge tourist attraction for visitors to the Mid-Town area. Its magnificent architecture and the intensity of public use posed unique challenges for a facility manager. Bill’s experience at St. Patrick’s Cathedral provided him with specialized skills which shall benefit PPM’s clients for years to come.
Peter McNamara joined Bill O’Connor and Bill Kirwan in April 2009 as a partner to lead the new Construction Division, PPM Restoration. McNamara brings over 20 years of experience in construction and roofing of religious, private, and commercial properties. Like his partners, Pete also worked with the Archdiocese of New York, overseeing hundreds of building projects including the construction of eight new Churches, six school additions, and countless capital repairs. McNamara recently completed the renovation and restoration of Cardinal Hayes High School (Bronx); Sacred Heart Basilica (Newark); St. Luke Church (Whitestone); St. John Chrysostom Church (Bronx); and Santa Maria School (Bronx).
Facility owners have a variety of professionals to choose from in the building and real estate industries. Because of the wide spectrum of building uses, it is prudent to select specialists that continue to work in the disciplines specific to a particular use. An architect that designs schools will know more about student traffic patterns than an architect that designs factories. Similarly, a contractor that constructs hospitals will have a superior knowledge of emergency call systems over a house builder.
At PPM, we don’t build gasoline stations, install roofs on shopping centers, or replace windows in high-rise apartment buildings. We manage religious buildings—and we do it well. It’s what our staff has done for decades, and it is what we will continue to do.
- Churches, chapels, and places of worship;
- Rectories, priories, monasteries and convents;
- Retreat houses/centers;
- Parish centers;
- School buildings, seminaries and novitiates;
- Senior and assisted care residences for religious;
- Hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices.
PPM’s staff of uniquely qualified professionals have decades of experience in managing thousands of properties for religious institutions. In addition to understanding the needs and challenges facing religious communities, PPM has a vast knowledge of church specialty items such as stained glass, altars, murals, statuary, liturgical design, pews, sound systems, lighting, etc.