Pomeroy History

1 9 3 0 - 2 0 0 5

Donald T. Pomeroy formed Pomeroy Organization, Inc. in 1930 with several other partners, most of whom had started in real estate with the Eagan company, namely Donald F. Mullin, Robert J. Conan, Samuel R. McCain, Archie Van Gorden, George Goldstein and Colin Williams, who eventually took over Pomeroy Insurance Agency.

Up to the mid-1950s, the Organization functioned as a full-service brokerage and management company. Among its developments were the Hamlet of Howlett Hill and, later, Hiller Heights in Cicero. Its first office was in the 700-block of South Warren Street where The Salvation Army is now. After a move to another Warren Street address nearer downtown, the firm finally bought a two-story building at 327 Montgomery Street (later to become an annex of the Syracuse Public Library which was in the adjacent building until re-locating to the Galleries).

Mortgage banking became such a prominent part of the Organization by 1957 that Don Pomeroy founded Pomeroy Securities, Inc. as his forte, leaving the brokerage business in the capable hands of Don Mullin, who headed the Commercial-Industrial & Management activities, and Bob Conan, who presided over the Residential Department.

Prominent names in the company at that time included:

Pomeroy Organization, Inc.
Commercial/Industrial Dept.

Pomeroy Organization, Inc.
Residential Dept.

Pomeroy Securities Corporation

Donald F. Mullin, MAI
Nicholas Graniero
Smith Fowler
Carl Brookman
Abner Winkelstein
Harold McDermott
Donna Simiele, Secretary
Jean Simiele, Receptionist
Donald T. Pomeroy, Jr.
Richard J. Mullin

Robert J. Conan, MAI
Clem Conan, MAI
Paul Conan
Helen Dee
Chauncey Day
Irene Miller
Tom Thomas
Janet Burke, Secretary
Josephine Leonard, Receptionist
Bob Kelly
Tom Watson
Tom Thomas
Bud Cook
Con Daugherty

Donald T. Pomeroy, MAI
William P. Taylor, MAI
William McKinley
Ray Phaff
Alan Thornquist
Samuel McCain, MAI (#879!!)
Thomas D. Ruthven
William Dugan
Harvey P. Jeffers, MAI
Dennis Kemper
Jon Nelson
Faith “Rocky” Rockwell, Secretary
(later became Mrs. Donald T. Pomeroy)
Nell Rudy, Secretary
Rohr Benedetti
And a host of other clerical staff

Pomeroy Management

Accounting

Fred Sehr
Esther Garritty

Nick Moroz
Bob Stone

G. Richard Kelley joined Pomeroy Organization in January 1957, as a member of Don Mullin’s department. Kel comments “Mr. Mullin made a major impact on my career when he took me to an MAI meeting one evening at the Hotel Syracuse. In a moment of enlightenment I knew exactly what I wanted to do and began seeking appraisal assignments.”

Meanwhile, Pomeroy Securities had advanced beyond mortgage appraisal work into the general spectrum of valuation and had hired Harvey Jeffers to pursue that work. One morning over coffee at Ja-Nic’s Restaurant (Augie Raschella’s place at 315 Montgomery Street, now Brick Alley), Harv mentioned that they were looking for an appraiser. Kel notes “I was struggling to make enough commissions to offset my $80/week draw and could see that it took more maturity (read as “age”) to make a mark in the commercial-industrial brokerage field. So, in May 1960, I interviewed with D.T.P. and joined Pomeroy Securities (at the annual salary of $6,500).”

Birth of Pomeroy Appraisal Associates, Inc.

In 1964, Mr. Pomeroy was approached by Marine Midland Bank to buy out his mortgage servicing business. The bank did not want the general fee appraisal part of the operation, so Don Pomeroy offered to start yet another entity – the partnership of Pomeroy Appraisal Associates, later to become a corporation when sufficient tax law related time had elapsed. In addition to Greg Blaisdell, Jeffers, Jon Nelson and Dick Kelley, D.T.P. had recently attracted Leslie B. Gray, Daniel C. Meyers and Herbert D. Putman from Thorne Appraisal Service in Binghamton. By this time “Rocky” also needed an assistant and Gloria Fitzgerald joined the group.

In late 1968, D.T.P. had an offer from the City to sell our building because the adjoining Public Library needed an annex. As fate would have it, the prestigious Hancock Law Firm was giving up its long-time headquarters in the Hills Building (217 Montgomery Street) to move to MONY Plaza. We took over their former 9^th floor space where we stayed for the next ten years.

That era saw growth and change in PAA. Don Pomeroy retired. Les Gray took over the reins. Harv Jeffers went on to pursue an opportunity with Sectional Structures, an early pre-fabricated building company that ultimately failed, sending Harvey back into the appraisal business – with Marine Midland, Midland Appraisal of Rochester, and a litany of other notable firms.

New additions in the early 1970s include William Gray, John Schwartz, William Campbell, Donald Fisher, and Bernard Wolfe. Those who stayed all had earned MAI designations and were joined over the years by others, most of whom also became MAIs and now offer their services in a variety of places:

Richard and Robert Allen

New Smyrna Beach, FL

William Hart

New Smyrna Beach, FL

Alvin Benton

Atlanta, GA

William and Leslie T. Gray

Carbondale, CO

David F. Peatfield

Syracuse, NY

John F. Havemeyer

Syracuse, NY

It was time to move again. This time to Suite 780, One Lincoln Center, another 10-year headquarters that saw the firm grow to over 40 employees at its peak, including Walter Copeland, Jr., Fred Woods, Shirley Neff, Bill Anderson, Charlie Francis, Powell Holbein, Marc Barlow, Bob Taylor, Thomas Roe, Ron MacDowell, Nancy O’Conner, Tom Lipa, and many short-term stays. In 1983 Richard J. Stropp, III, MAI came on board after a brief hiatus from the profession. We also hired Donna Simiele back again.

During the late 1970s to mid-80s many of the group moved on, the most significant being the relocation of the Allen boys to New Smyrna Beach where they founded Pomeroy Appraisal of Florida, followed by the withdrawal of John Havemeyer to start Appraisal Research and Dave Peatfield with Dan Meyers to set up their own firm.

Creation of Pomeroy Place

Having no intention to relocate, though our lease was coming to an end, the firm’s owners were constantly approached by brokers trying to convince us to make a move. One very persistent figure, thank goodness, was Linda Dyson of Longley-Jones Associates who finally coerced us into taking a look at our present home, 225 West Jefferson Street. We decided to make an offer on the building with part of the land, a deal that Linda consummated with the sellers at the eleventh hour as John Lynch was putting together an offer from the City on the whole parcel. In December 1986, renovations were begun by Schopfer Architects and The Hayner-Hoyt Corporation. We moved in early 1987.

Again change was underway. Les Gray retired in the late-80s and Dick Kelley became President of PAA. After the exodus of the Allens, Peatfield, Havemeyer and others in the early 80s, Don Fisher and Dick Stropp became part owners. Erik Stropp, Todd Thurston, E. Anthony Casale and John Ryan joined the firm. Before Les Gray left, a buy-out agreement had been set up. In 1994 Kel asked to be retired from ownership. As of January 1, 2005 Dick Stropp followed the same route, staying on as a “fee-splitter” with no management ownership or responsibilities. Don Fisher continues as President with Erik Stropp soon to take an ownership position. The present support staff consists of Trish Crysler, Beth Higgins, Gloria Fitzgerald (officially retired but still here most days – like “Stroppie” and “Kel”), Rick Dannan, Rick Coughlin, Joe Mingin, Chad Stropp, Larry Schunck, and occasionally Scott Fisher and Brian Noll.

Let’s hope this proud 75-year history will continue to meet the challenges ahead!

POMEROY CURRENT EMPLOYEES
Last Name	First Name	Start	Comments
Kelley	G. Richard	5/8/1960	Retired from partnership 1994
Fitzgerald	Gloria	2/26/1962	Semi-retired 7/31/2001
Fisher	Donald A.	3/18/1974	President since 1994
Stropp	Richard J. III	7/18/1983	Retired from partnership 2004
Higgins	Beth	1/30/1984	Head of production since 2001
Stropp	Eriksen E.	6/5/1989	Vice-President
Crysler	Trish	5/28/1991	Office Manager
Stropp	Chad	8/29/1991	1993-95, 1996-97, 5/1/2000 - Current
Noll	Brian	6/7/1993	Thru 1997, works summers
Dannan	Richard	12/10/2001	Staff Appraiser
Mingin	Joseph	7/15/2002	Staff Appraiser
Coughlin	P. Richard	8/11/2003	Staff Appraiser
Fisher	Scott	6/18/2002	Works summers and vacations
Schunck	Larry	11/7/2005	Staff Appraiser

POMEROY ALUMNI
Last Name	First Name	Start	End
Allen	Richard	1966	1984
Allen	Richard, Jr.	1983	1984
Allen	Robert	1980	1984
Brogan	Thomas	1986	1989
Butz	David	1985	1991
Castagne	Catherine	1983	1991
Copeland	Walter, Jr.	1981	1986
Emerling	Becky	1992	1992
Fisher	Helen	1989	1994
Gray	Leslie	1964	1988
Harrison	Roberta	1997	1999
Holbein	Powell	1984	1992
Holmes	Janet	1986	1993
Kubicki	Robin	1991	1991
MacDowell	Claire	1992	1992
MacDowell	Ronald	1985	1992
Meyers	Daniel	1960	1984
Mullin	Richard	1980?	1988
Neff	Shirley	1982	1990
Noll	Brian	1993	1997 +
O'Connor	Nancy	1985	1997
Pfohl	Skip	1991	1993
Pomeroy	Donald T.	1930	1970
Poorman	John	1991	2005
Prusinowski	Jane	1985	1988
Putnam	Herbert	1968	1988
Randall	Paul	1987	1988
Regan	Michael	1988	1990
Stropp	Kathy	1992	1992
Saya	Tina	1981	1985
Shanty	Sherry	1971	1988
Sharp	Pauline	2003	2006
Simiele	Donna	1980	2003
Smart	Michael	1995	1995
Smart	Rebecca	1995	1995
Stropp	Richard J., IV	1990	1990
Stropp	Robert	1990	1995
Stropp	Sandy	1990	1999
Walters	Christine	1986	1988
Whipple	Karen	1986	1988
Whipple	Mark	1986	1990
Wilensky	Maggie	1986	1988
Woods	Fred	1984	1991
Younis	Tonya	1987	1988

For a printable version of the Pomeroy Appraisal Associates, Inc. official brochure, click below.


POMEROY		APPRAISAL ASSOCIATES, INC. REAL ESTATE APPRAISERS ¤ CONSULTANTS