Roy Neel

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Roy M. Neel is a United States Democratic Party operative and lobbyist who served as a top assistant to Vice President Al Gore and President Bill Clinton.

Raised in Smyrna, Tennessee, Neel joined the U.S. Navy and served a tour of duty in Vietnam as a photojournalist. Early in his career, he worked as a sportswriter for the Nashville Banner, and his 1975 book Dynamite! 75 Years of Vanderbilt Basketball can still be found on the bookshelves of many homes in the Music City. Also in his earlier years, he started an aerial photography business and a political consulting firm, and he served on the staff of the Mayor of Nashville. [1] Neel graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1977 and earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University in 1983.

In 1977, he joined Gore's Congressional staff. He stayed throughout Gore's Congressional career, rising to the position of Chief of Staff in Gore's Senate office. In 1992, he managed Gore's vice presidential campaign; he then participated in the White House transition and became Gore's Vice Presidential Chief of Staff. In 1994, after 17 years of service to Gore, Neel went on to serve as President Clinton's Deputy Chief of Staff. He was responsible for coordinating policy and communications. [2]

After his White House service, Neel worked for seven years as President and CEO of the United States Telecom Association, representing the regional Bell companies and almost 1,000 local telecom companies. He directed Gore's transition planning during the 2000 presidential election and Florida recount. In 2004, he served briefly as Vermont Governor Howard Dean's campaign manager and then directed the Nader Project, an effort at mitigating the effects of Ralph Nader on Democratic electoral success. He is now chairman of the Jackson Group, a public policy consulting firm. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University, teaching courses in Presidential Transitions and Presidential Leadership. [3]

In April 2006, Al Gore hired Neel once again, this time to raise awareness about global warming.