Pat Neal chatted up for Florida CFO post

Homebuilding firm Neal Communities is in big growth mode on the Gulf Coast, but the latest move could be more personal: Pat Neal, who has run the firm since he co-founded it in 1970, might be on a list of possible candidates for the Florida chief financial officer post.

Several steps would need to happen for that to become reality. Still, Neal, in comments in a Jan. 6 News Service of Florida story, didn't deny his interest in the position. And a spokeswoman for Lakewood Ranch-based Neal Communities confirmed to the Business Observer that Neal, a former state legislator and longtime prominent statewide political fundraiser, in general, would like to return to public service someday. Neal's possible interest in the CFO position was also reported Jan. 6 on SaintPetersBlog, a St. Petersburg-based political blog and website.

Chatter about Neal and the CFO position began with word that current Florida CFO Jeff Atwater is one of 10 finalists for the open presidency at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. If Atwater is offered and takes that post, Florida Gov. Rick Scott could appoint an interim CFO prior to the November general election. The CFO position is a cabinet-level job, in charge of overseeing the state's accounting and auditing functions, in addition to insurance consumer service and insurance fraud investigations.

But even if the CFO job became open, there are other candidates Scott can choose, beyond Neal. Speculation, according to the News Service story, has focused on two high-profile Tallahassee lawmakers: House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, and Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. Both legislators, in the News Service story, issued broad statements that didn't commit either way to seeking or not seeing an interim CFO appointment.

Neal served in the Florida House from 1974 to 1978 and the Florida Senate from 1978 to 1986. He has since supported numerous conservative candidates and pro-business causes, both in Sarasota-Bradenton and Tallahassee. The firm he founded, Neal Communities, announced an expansion to Hillsborough County for 2014.