Loyd Neal (R)

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Personal Information

Samuel L. Neal, Jr. (Loyd Neal), was first elected Mayor of the City of Corpus Christi in April 1997, and was re-elected for his fourth and final term in April 2003. He had an over 40 year career in Insurance in Corpus Christi prior to becoming County Judge in January 2007. As an insurance professional, he holds the following Professional Designations: CPCU, CLU, CIC, ARM and CPIA. He was elected Nueces County Judge in November 2006, taking office January 2nd, 2007. Loyd is the first Republican elected to this office in over 140 years.

In 2000, Loyd Neal was installed as President for the Texas Municipal League and served through November 2001. He served as Chairman of the South Texas Military Facilities Task Force, was appointed by Governor George W. Bush to the Texas Strategic Military Planning Commission in 1997, and was reappointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Military Preparedness Commission in 2005. Loyd Neal has served in numerous leadership positions in the Corpus Christi area over the past 30 years including:

* Chairman, Corpus Christi Economic Development Corp.
* Chairman, Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce
* Chairman, Art Museum of South Texas
* Chairman, South Texas Homeport Committee
* President, Corpus Christi Navy League
* Chairman, Leadership Corpus Christi Alumni

Loyd Neal served as an Adjunct Professor of Insurance at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi from 1973 to 1998. He is currently serving as a Director on several agency Boards and was appointed in 2005 as a Driscoll Foundation Trustee, and to the Driscoll Children's Hospital Board.

Loyd Neal received his B.B.A. in Marketing from Texas A&M University, College Station in 1959, and an MBA in Business Administration from Texas A&I University in 1973. In 1989, Loyd Neal retired as a Colonel from the Army Reserve, after serving more than 30 years in the active Army and Army Reserve. In 1992, Loyd was named a Distinguished Alumnus by Texas A&M University for his service to his City, his State, and his Country.

A Caller-Times editorial dated April 10th, 2005, entitled: NEAL LEAVES SOLID RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS stated in part...."Under the council-manager form of government, it's difficult for any mayor to take credit for all that a council accomplishes. But no council can do much without the leadership and vision of a dynamic, involved mayor. Corpus Christi has had the benefit of four terms of Neal's determination to move Corpus Christi forward, to put the city's government finances on a sound footing, and to reestablish a bond of trust between the citizenry and elected officials... Neal brought strong leadership to City Hall at a time when it was badly needed. The major projects accomplished in his tenures are testimonials to his effectiveness as a political and civic leader."

As Mayor he served as an ex-officio, voting director of the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation and an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Convention and Visitors Bureau for eight years. In 1997, Loyd Neal took an active and successful leadership role in the passage of a 1/8 cent sales tax to create a "Crime Control and Prevention District" to enhance safety and increase crime prevention and enforcement efforts and in 2000, a Bond Issue which included 30.8 million dollars for general improvements and a 1/8 cent sales tax for a multi purpose arena. In April 2001, Mayor Neal led the passage of the Tax Increment Finance Zone for the construction and maintenance of Packery Channel. In 2004, under Mayor Neal's leadership, the voters approved 95 million dollars in bond projects, which included 68 million dollars in street repairs and 11 million dollars for the Bayfront Master Plan, a project Mayor Neal supported throughout his terms in office. All these initiatives underscored his commitment to improving quality of life and economic growth for our region.