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Patrick "Pat" Neal | |
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Member of the Florida Senate from the 24th district | |
In office November 7, 1978 –November 4, 1986 | |
Preceded by | Thomas Gallen |
Succeeded by | Marlene Woodson-Howard |
Member of the FloridaHouseofRepresentatives from the 72nd district | |
In office November 5,1974 –November 7,1978 | |
Preceded by | John P. Harllee |
Succeeded by | Lawrence F. Shackelford |
Personal details | |
Born | Des Moines,Iowa,U.S. | March 4,1949
Political party | Republican |
Other political affiliations | Democratic (1974–1986) |
Spouse | Charlene Lovingood (m. 1978) |
Education | Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania |
Profession | Real estate |
Patrick K. "Pat" Neal (born March 4, 1949) is an American real estate developer and politician who is a former Florida State Senator and former representative in the Florida House of Representatives.
Neal was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1949. [1] [2] He earned a bachelor of science (BS) in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. [3] In 1969, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve, serving as an officer from 1972 to 1975. [2]
He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1974 through 1978 and in the Florida Senate from 1978 through 1986, where he was Chair of the Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee. [4] [5] As a member of the Florida Senate, he represented Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands, Okeechobee, and Glades counties. [2] [1]
During his time in office, Neal worked on policies focused on environmental protection. In 1983, he wrote Florida's first Comprehensive Wetland Act [6] and Comprehensive Hazardous Waste Act [7] to protect groundwater. He also co-sponsored the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve Bill, recognizing the preserve as an outstanding water reserve and offering additional protection. [8] Currently, Neal is a member of Florida's Judicial Nominating Commission, representing nominees within the 12th Judicial Circuit. [9]
Neal is on the Board of Trustees for the American Enterprise Institute, a public policy organization based in Washington D.C. that researches government, politics, economics, and social welfare. [10] He also currently serves as a member of the Investment Advisory Council of The Florida State Pension Fund, an organization providing oversight of decision-making and adherence to financial standards to funds. [11] [ failed verification ] Neal also served as a former chairman of the Florida Commission on Ethics, overseeing the conduct of public employees in the state of Florida. [12] Neal is also a member of the Reserve Officers Association, advocating for adequate funding of equipment, training requirements and employments rights for members of the Reserve. [13]
Pat Neal is the Chairman of the Executive Committee for Neal Communities based in Sarasota, Florida. [5] [14] He founded the company alongside his father, Paul Neal, in 1970. [15] The first project Pat and his father undertook was Whitney Beach, found on Longboat Key, Florida. [16] J. Paul Neal, Pat's grandfather, also worked in the homebuilding and real estate industry beginning in 1913. [16]
In 2005, he donated 120 acres of land to Manatee County, wanting to ensure the protection of its wetlands and other aspects. [17] In 2014, this was opened as the Neal Preserve, featuring boardwalk trails and other recreational opportunities woven into the environment. [18]
Neal is also a current member of the Board of Trustees and former Chairman on the executive committee for Florida TaxWatch, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute in that aims to improve government efficiency and accountability. [19]
During 2012, Neal's company was named "America's Best Builder" by Builder Magazine, recognized for home quality and design. [20]
In 2014, Neal received the Good Scout Award by The Manatee District of Boy Scouts of Southwest Florida, recognized for his leadership and philanthropic efforts within the state. [12]
Neal was also recognized by Professional Builder as the 2015 Builder of The Year for excellence in leadership and sales. [21]
In 2017, Neal was the recipient of The Defender of Faith and Freedom Award by the Florida Faith and Freedom Coalition. [13] He was recognized for his leadership in business and throughout the community.
Under his leadership at Neal Communities, The Florida Green Building Coalition awarded Green Builder of The Year from 2013 to 2019 for the commitment to building homes to green standards and certifying the most homes in Florida. [22]
Neal was also named "Entrepreneur of The Year" in 2005, 2012 and 2014 by Business Observer, recognizing business leaders who uphold company success and culture. [23]
In 2022, Neal's company was named as the Top Workplace by the Sarasota-Herald Tribune. [24] He was also a Special Award honoree for Leadership. [24]
Sarasota County is a county located in Southwest Florida. At the 2020 US census, the population was 434,006. Its county seat is Sarasota and its largest city is North Port. Sarasota County is part of the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota, FL metropolitan statistical area.
Bradenton is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a principal city in the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Downtown Bradenton is along the Manatee River and includes the Bradenton Riverwalk. Downtown Bradenton is also home to the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature.
Sarasota is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Greater Tampa Bay Area, and north of Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include Sarasota Bay and several barrier islands between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Sarasota is a principal city of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2020 U.S. census, Sarasota had a population of 54,842, up from 51,917 at the 2010 census.
State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota (SCF) is a public college with campuses in the Manatee and Sarasota counties of Florida. Part of the Florida College System, it is designated a "state college" because it offers a greater number of bachelor's degrees than community colleges. SCF is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Founded in 1957 as Manatee Junior College, it was known as Manatee Community College from 1985 to 2009.
The Sarasota metropolitan area is a metropolitan area located in Southwest Florida. The metropolitan area is defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) consisting of Manatee County and Sarasota County. The principal cities listed by the OMB for the MSA are North Port, Bradenton, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, and Venice. At the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 833,716. The Census Bureau estimates that its population was 891,411 in 2022.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is one of five regional agencies directed by Florida state law to protect and preserve water resources. Established in 1961, the agency operates and maintains several large properties and flood protection projects, sometimes with other agencies. The District's responsibilities have expanded to include managing water supply and protecting water quality and the natural systems — rivers, lakes, wetlands, and associated uplands. The district's stated mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks, and ensure the public's water needs are met.
Vernon Gale Buchanan is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 16th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, he first entered Congress in 2007, representing Florida's 13th congressional district until redistricting. His district is anchored by Bradenton.
The University of South Florida Sarasota–Manatee is a branch campus of the University of South Florida in Sarasota, Florida. USF Sarasota-Manatee was established in 1975 as a regional campus of the University of South Florida and gained separate accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master's degrees in June 2011. It was consolidated with the other two USF campuses as of July 1, 2020. Day, evening, weekend and online classes serve more than 14,000 students annually.
William Saint Galvano is an American Republican politician from Florida. He represented parts of Bradenton area in the Florida Senate from 2012 to 2020 and in the Florida House of Representatives from 2002 to 2010. He served as President of the Senate in his last two years in office.
Mark G. Flanagan is a Republican politician who formally served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1994 to 2002. He represented the 68th district, encompassing west Manatee County and a small segment of southern Hillsborough County.
Michael S. Bennett is an American politician from Florida who is a member of the Republican Party. He served as a member of the Florida Senate representing the 21st District from 2002 to 2012. He was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2001 to 2002.
Lakewood Ranch is a planned community and census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Manatee County and northeastern Sarasota County, Florida, United States, consisting of approximately 31,000 acres (13,000 ha). It is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 34,877.
Friends of Seagate Inc. was founded in the late 1980s by Kafi Benz as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Sarasota, Florida. The historic preservation group lead local efforts protect historic property in the Sarasota-Bradenton area from commercial development. The group later expanded its scope to include environmental conservation. Its most notable project was the preservation of Seagate, the former home of Cincinnati, Ohio, industrialist Powel Crosley Jr. and his wife, Gwendolyn, and its later owners, Mabel and Freeman Horton. In 2002 the organization tried to secure Rus-in- Ur'be, an undeveloped parcel of land in the center of the Indian Beach Sapphire Shores neighborhood, as a local park; however, as of 2014, real estate developers intend to build condominium units at the site.
Nancy C. Detert was an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Florida who served as a Sarasota County Commissioner from 2016 until her death. Previously, she represented parts of Sarasota and Charlotte Counties in the Florida Senate, from 2008 to 2016, and served four terms in the Florida House of Representatives, from 1998 to 2006.
Neal Communities is a privately held land development and home building company based in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and founded in 1970.
Edgar Hilleary Price, Jr.,, was a World War II Bomber pilot, Florida legislator, community leader and agricultural manager who fought for civil rights and public education.
Thomas "Tom" Gallen, Jr. is a retired Florida state legislator and circuit judge.
Michael J. Grant is an American Republican politician who serves as the Majority Leader of the Florida House of Representatives. He has represented Florida's 75th district since 2016. From 2004 to 2008, he represented the 71st district.
Carlos Miguel Beruff is an American real estate developer and a Republican politician and donor. On March 1, 2017, Governor Rick Scott appointed him chair of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, a body that meets once every 20 years to propose amendments to the Florida Constitution.
Joe Gruters was the Chairman of the Florida Republican Party from 2018 to 2022, and is a member of the Florida Senate representing the 22nd District, which consists of Sarasota County and part of Charlotte County. He was previously a member of the Florida House of Representatives. Earlier in his career, Gruters worked on the campaign of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan as campaign manager and was vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida and chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota.