New World School of the Arts Salutes
Alumnus Patrick M. O'Connell
Nearly three decades later – from student to Foundation Chair – New World School of the Arts alumnus Patrick M. O’Connell is still very much involved with his alma mater.
The Cincinnati native moved to Miami in 1988 to attend the New World School of the Arts College Conservatory where he received his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts. A student of NWSA’s Music Theater program, Patrick graduated in 1992 as one of the six theater department grads in the very first class. He was a founding member of the “New World Connection,” the school’s travelling musical theater group, and he played Tony in West Side Story in his senior year.
Says O’Connell, “My education at NWSA prepared me for a career in the performing arts, but this training applies very well to business, as it taught tremendous discipline, perseverance and focus, which translates easily to the professional world.”
And it’s easy to see how his NWSA training has translated to a successful career. O’Connell is Senior Vice President of New Business Development for EWM Realty International where he oversees the Relocation Department and the sales operations for all of the company’s current development projects. In addition to Relocation and Development Sales, Patrick directs EWM’s REO Department, which handles bank foreclosures in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
O’Connell has served as Vice-President of the Center Coconut Grove Neighborhood Association, is a graduate of Leadership Miami class of 2001, a previous Chairman of the Professional Development committee for the Realtor Association of Miami-Dade County, a former Director of RAMDC, and has served as a Director for The Florida Association of Realtors. Patrick was named “Development Representative of the Year” by the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches in 2009.
Now in his second two-year term as Chair of NWSA’s Foundation Board, Patrick is highly involved in all of the school’s events, its upcoming Rising Stars Showcase and other fundraising efforts. He paved the way for the establishment of the Alumni Foundation in 2012, where he now serves as Treasurer. Participation in these two Boards and serving as an integral member of the NWSA 30th Anniversary Planning Committee, being celebrated during the 2016-2017 school year, currently command much of Patrick’s attention.
Rising Stars Showcase 2016, NWSA’s annual gala event, features a juried exhibition of student artworks and a high-energy, professionally staged performance of the school’s talented high school and college students. Tickets for the Performing Arts Showcase range from $20 to $50, and tickets for the VIP pre-performance reception are from $125 to $250. It all takes place at the New World Gallery and Olympia Theater in Downtown Miami. Call 305-237-3620 for VIP tickets and information or email Maria Flores.
