Neil is a Lakeland native and lifelong resident of Polk County. He grew up working on his family’s farms, which included a dairy farm, sod production, beef cattle, and watermelons. Neil got involved with real estate sales in the mid-eighties working as an agent for Harper Realty and Development. He was elected to the Polk County Commission in 1988 and was re-elected in 1992, 1996 and 2000. Neil left the County Commission in 2004 and shortly thereafter was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to serve as Polk County’s member of the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board. He served as Board Chairman in 2008-2009 and is currently serving his second four year term. Neil has assisted in the permitting and development of a wide variety of projects, both residential and commercial, throughout Central Florida. Neil and his wife, the former Linda Weatherford, have been married for 29 years and they are the parents of two grown sons, Jerad and Beau. Neil and Linda reside on the family’s cattle ranch in northwest Polk County.