Neal says clerk?s office lacks privacy
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Neal, a life-long Warren County resident, said he believes his business and law enforcement experience, as well as communication and public service skills and personal integrity, qualify him for the position.
A former county commissioner, Neal noted that although much of the Mayberry-style friendliness in McMinnville remains, the size and the safety of the community does not.
?Leadership in the clerk?s office calls for a person of leadership and new ideas to guide the office to the next decade, someone who can see outside the box,? Neal said. ?I?m the kind of person who is always looking for a better way to do things, and there are things we can improve on.?
One aspect needing improvement, Neal said, is privacy in the office.
?There?s just too much information floating around for anyone to hear,? Neal said. ?If you got a good deal on a vehicle you purchased, it?s not the business of the person standing next to you to know how much you gave for it.
?The way the office is designed right now, anyone can hear your whole conversation with the attending clerk. For the sake of safety in these present times, do you want strangers around you to know you?re applying for a passport and leaving your home unoccupied for a time??
As clerk, Neal said he will use the abundant office space for partitioned stations for the privacy of customers. Neal believes the plan will enhance the professionalism of how business is conducted and allow employees to better concentrate on the business of individual customers.
Neal has served the community in numerous ways over the years, singing for fundraisers and through church-related service. However, he says public service shows you care for your community, but it does not necessarily qualify a person for the job.
?I want the citizens of Warren County to vote for me because I am the best person for the job of county clerk, and not because they feel obligated in any way for the service I?ve performed,? Neal said.
Pointing to his managerial experience with a major U.S. retailer and his ownershp/management of a small business, Neal is confident in his abilities.
?Working in an office does not necessarily qualify an employee to run the office,? Neal said. ?I have had employees over the years who were capable of filling in for me from time to time, but lacked the skills needed to perform the duties of management for a long period of time. Some lacked basic communication or customer service skills. Still others did not have any specific training on how to conduct a proper interview so as to make sure the best person was chosen for a particular position. Working in an office and truly managing an office are two different things.?
Neal believes his candidacy is offering voters a clear choice.
?I stand on my own credentials,? Neal said. ?Endorsement is fine but excellence, vision, and leadership are what I believe the voters are looking for in their county clerk. I want to serve you and respectfully ask for your vote.?
Neal is married to Carol Neal, a Warren County teacher. They have two children, Dana, a college student, and Jared, an upcoming freshman at Warren County High School.