WelCom August 2020
Emma Dodsworth
Liam Greer was welcomed into the role of General Manager for the Palmerston North Diocese at a whakatau at the Diocesan Centre, attended by diocesan and parish staff, Tuesday 14 July.
Welcoming Liam on behalf of the diocese, Cardinal John Dew acknowledged that Liam was coming into the diocese at an unusual time, with no permanent bishop and himself as Apostolic Administrator.
‘While it is a strange time, I can assure you of great support from Monsignor Brian [Walsh], the staff of this diocesan centre, the clergy and laity of the diocese. You are very welcome and will be welcomed around the diocese,’ Cardinal John said.
‘The role of general manager in the diocese is extremely important as the Church becomes more and more complicated. We rely heavily on the support, knowledge and expertise of our general managers.’ Cardinal John noted that Liam brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from his most recent role with the MidCentral District Health Board and other employment experiences.
Liam, whose family has a five-generation association with the diocese, grew up in Palmerston North and attended St Peter’s College. In his Year 12 he was an AFS exchange student and lived in Missouri, USA for 12 months, returning with ‘itchy feet’. Meeting partner Jannene soon after his return they embarked to Europe where they lived and travelled for several years. Their overseas experience was cut short when they were caught up in the Gulf War while travelling through the Middle East in late 1990.
Returning to Aotearoa, Liam enrolled at Massey University and graduated in 1994 with a Valuation and Property Management degree. Working as a property valuer grew Liam’s awareness of how important housing is to the wellbeing of families, which led to him a role with Housing New Zealand in Palmerston North.
With two young sons, Liam and Jannene moved to the Kāpiti Coast, from where Liam took on a national role for Housing New Zealand, rolling out the social-allocation system. He completed further study in housing management and social policy and in 2008 became Principle Asset Manager.
Liam and Jannene decided the best place to raise their growing children was Palmerston North and moved back to their turangawaewae – their place to stand. Liam furthered his studies in infrastructure asset management and in 2012 was appointed Director of Facilities and Estate Management with the MidCentral District Health Board.
After much contemplation and advice, Liam decided to apply for the Palmerston North Diocesan General Manager role.
‘From the start of the hiring process through to my first day, I’ve been nothing but impressed with the professionalism of the staff and the culture,’ Liam said. ‘I am excited to be in this new role and the challenges it presents, and I’m looking forward to working with the diocesan team to achieve great things.’