William H. Peabody III is an innovative executive with over 30 years of experience in designing and directing impactful initiatives focused on operations, strategic planning, and facilities management. Throughout his career, William has placed a strong emphasis on continuous improvement and effective communication, allowing him to nurture and build out high-performing, collaborative teams.

As COO, William will work closely with senior executives and the Board of Trustees to develop and implement organizational goals, operational strategies, and policies for the organization. He will also provide leadership, vision, and oversight for Union’s business operations encompassing sound, ethical, and transparent processes that ensure the long-term operational viability of the institution. William will work to establish management priorities, policies, and procedures that will promote teamwork and collaboration and lead to the strengthening of the seminary’s operational capabilities.

Prior to joining Union, William served as the Executive Director of Facility Operations with Vassar College, where he directed a workforce of over 180 union employees with an operating budget of $22 million and an annual spend on capital projects of $45 million. While at Vassar, William was responsible for a wide breadth of departments, including facility operations, finance, administration, the physical plant, grounds services, building trades, custodian services, facility systems, energy management, and the service response center.

With each role that he has held, William has spearheaded multiple high-value initiatives focused on facilities management, project management, capital budgets, strategic planning, safety, engineering, and business process improvement. As Managing Director of Facilities & Operations with Yale University, he notably created the business model for Yale School of Management Hospitality and integrated a full-service catering component and state of the art dining facilities.

Previous to Yale, William served in operational and financial leadership roles with organizations including Firth Rixson Limited, The Hotchkiss School, Driehaus Management Enterprise, Altamont Estate, and Connecticut College.

William holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Haven.