About Neal
I’m a Livingston parent who cares deeply about what strong public schools make possible.
My family is part of Livingston Public Schools, and that makes this personal. I care about the kind of opportunities our schools can create for every student in this community—and about the decisions we make now that will shape those opportunities for years to come.
Why I’m doing this
Public education has been a big part of my own life. I grew up in New Jersey, went to public school, and continued my education at public universities. Today, my children are in, and entering, Livingston Public Schools.
Like a lot of families here, we chose Livingston because we believed in the schools and in the opportunities this community could give children. That is part of what made this personal for me. The responsibility, though, is broader: supporting great teachers, planning for facilities, paying for the things students need, and making those decisions in a way the community can understand.
What matters most to me
Being a parent shapes how I see the work, but the work is for every student in Livingston. The spreadsheets, budgets, and long-range plans matter because behind every number is a classroom, a teacher, a program, a service, or an opportunity that affects a child.
A little about me
The experience I bring
My background is in business, accounting, finance, and analytics. I earned my Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan, my Master of Accountancy from Rutgers University, and my Master of Science in Analytics from Georgia Tech. I’m also a licensed CPA in both New Jersey and New York.
That training has shaped how I work through difficult problems: understand the facts, ask what is driving the numbers, test assumptions, think beyond the next year, and be clear about the tradeoffs. Those are habits I would bring to conversations about Livingston’s schools.
I also know a school district is not a private company. Public education comes with responsibilities, laws, contracts, and governance requirements that are different from the business world. I don’t think a CPA license gives me all the answers. I do think a strong financial and analytical foundation can help ask better questions and make complicated choices easier for the public to understand.
How I want to approach the work
Residents should be able to understand not just what a number is, but what it means. When I use an official figure, I want the source to be visible. When I do a calculation, I want the method to be clear. And when I’m sharing my own interpretation, I want that to be clear too.
We are not going to agree on every decision. That is normal in a community with different experiences, priorities, and concerns. But I believe we can have better conversations when people have access to the same facts, understand the constraints, and feel that their questions are being taken seriously.
I want to hear from you
Tell me what you think.
If something is confusing, incomplete, or missing a perspective you think matters, I want to know. You can email me directly at neal@neal4livschoolboard.com, or use the contact page to start a message.