Meet Pat Neal

Pat Neal is respected for his business leadership, public service and philanthropy. A graduate of the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, Pat is a former state Legislator and Senator. He has been married for over 40 years to Charlene Neal, who owns the successful Manatee County business, PureStyle. Charlene was named Best Interior Designer by Sarasota Magazine. Bringing family members into his growing business is one of Pat’s greatest joys in life.  His oldest son, John, serves as president of Neal Land & Neighborhoods, and son Michael completed the building management program at Neal Communities.

Pat has successfully guided his company through several economic upswings and downturns. The team’s dedication to building high quality homes and communities that enhance lives has enabled Neal Communities to build more than 20,000 homes, a testimony to the company’s commitment and strength.

Neal Communities was named America’s Best Builder by Builder Magazine and the National Association of Home Builders. In 2015, Neal Communities received the prestigious Builder of the Year award from Professional Builder Magazine.

A former member of the Florida Senate and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Pat served on Governor Rick Scott’s transition team with oversight of the Department of Management Services. He currently holds a similar role for Governor Ron DeSantis. Pat is a member and former chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission and the current chairman of TaxWatch. He is the former chair of the Florida Commission on Ethics, a state agency established in the Florida Constitution, that oversees the conduct of Florida’s 380,000 public employees.

As chair of the Florida Senate Natural Resources Committee, Pat won every environmental award given to members of the Legislature. Today, he still seeks opportunities that follow his philosophy of considering the land first to maintain it for future generations. As an example, as Natural Resources chair, he was the Senate sponsor of Florida’s first comprehensive wetlands law.

In addition to leading his successful business, Pat Neal is a major philanthropist. Over the past decade, he and his companies have contributed more than $8 million in support of local community organizations, such as: The American Cancer Society, Women’s Resource Center, 4-H Club, Child Protection Center and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee and Sarasota.

Pat Neal was awarded the 2024 Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award by BUILDER Magazine and Hearthstone in Recognition of his Exemplary Environmental Stewardship and Preservation Efforts in Florida.