Real Estate Management

Diocesan Building Commission Members

• John Philipp, Chairman
• Msgr. James Bartylla, Vicar General
• Mr. Eric Schiedermayer, Director of the Curia
• Msgr. Duane Moellenberndt
• Rev. Thomas Kelley
• Mr. Grant Emmel, P.E.
• Mr. John Feller
• Dr. Pat Gorman
• Mr. Peter Szotkowski

The Diocesan Building Commission is a group of nine members (listed on this page), assisted by a consulting architect. For immediate assistance, please contact: 

Grant Emmel, as the Coordinator of Real Estate and Construction, takes an systems engineering approach to oversee and coordinate all of the activities of the Commission including:

• Serves as a point person for questions or concerns of parishes, schools, and cemeteries regarding real estate and construction related matters, from concept, development, architecture, engineering, construction, and placement into service
• Monitors construction projects throughout the diocese
• Develops and maintains an inventory of church, school, and other property including condition and value
• Assists parishes, schools, and other institutions in planning new construction, property improvement, and maintenance projects
• Reviews, evaluates, and makes recommendations on all projects, including real estate transactions, referred to the Commission by the Bishop of Madison
• Develops policies and project submission procedures and requirements

The Diocesan Building Commission is a group of diocesan priests, staff and lay persons, who have, for several decades, provided independent and objective oversite of all parish real estate and construction projects in the Diocese of Madison. They serve to facilitate the planning, construction, improvement, maintenance, acquisition and sale of all church, school, and other property within the Diocese of Madison and advise the Bishop on these matters leading to his approval.

Just as assembling the right team early in a project’s planning phase is critical, having the Commission partner with parish leadership and the parish building committee,  helps to ensure the right decisions are made to reach parish goals while saving significant time, money, and resources.

Our team has been at the forefront of all major projects in the diocese for more than a decade and is here to facilitate as smooth and efficient of operations as possible. Any time your parish takes on a project over $10,000, you will need to contact us, even if your project is just fundraising for future construction.

The Policies & Procedures for Renovating or Building Facilities is a document crafted to help inform and guide you when considering capital expenditures as they relate to building projects. To get started and to have discussions pertinent to construction of new or renovation of existing structures, contact Grant Emmel.

• Policies & Procedures for Renovating or Building Facilities - Updated 10/27/04
• Boiler Info on Risk Control