James McNeil (born July 24, 1958) is an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

from 2008 to 2013 and the Vermont Senate from 2019 to 2021.

Early life and education

James L. McNeil was born in

Rutland City, Vermont The city of Rutland is the seat of Rutland County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 15,807. It is located approximately north of the Massachusetts state line, west of New Hampshire state lin ...

on July 24, 1958, a son of James F. McNeil and Jane (Masan) McNeil. He attended St. Peter's Elementary School and graduated from Mount Saint Joseph Academy. McNeil went on to complete an

associate of science An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The f ...

degree in general business at

Champlain College Champlain College is a private college in Burlington, Vermont. Founded in 1878, Champlain offers on-campus undergraduate and online undergraduate courses through Champlain College Online, along with online certificate and degree programs and ma ...

in 1978.

Career

McNeil went into the men's clothing business, and for more than 40 years has been co-owner with his twin brother John of McNeil & Reedy, a Rutland City store that sells men's suits, shoes, and other apparel, and rents tuxedos and other formal wear. A Republican, Reedy served on the Rutland Town Selectboard for four years, in addition to serving as a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

and a notary public. A civic activist, McNeil served on the board of the Rutland City Downtown Partnership for four years, and also served on the board of directors of the Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association. In addition, he served on the Business Advisory Board for the Rutland High School's

Stafford Technical Center Stafford Technical Center is a technical school adjacent to Rutland High School, located in Rutland, Vermont. The school offers programs such as culinary arts, engineering, forestry and natural resources, video production, automotive technology, a ...

and Rutland's Christ the King School Board. McNeil is also a former Boy Scouts of America troop leader. In 2008, McNeil was appointed to the

, filling the seat left vacant by the resignation of David Sunderland. He was elected to a full term in 2008, and reelected in 2010. McNeil served from January 1989 to January 2013, and was a member of the House Agriculture Committee. In 2018, incumbent Republican

Margaret Flory Margaret "Peg" Flory (born August 2, 1948) is a Republican politician who served in the Vermont Senate from 2011 until 2019, representing the Rutland District. From 1999 to 2010, she served in the Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont H ...

was not a candidate for reelection to the Vermont Senate from the three-member at-large Rutland County District. Incumbent Republicans

Brian Collamore Brian Collamore (born November 28, 1950) is an American politician who has served in the Vermont Senate from the Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the ...

and

David Soucy David Soucy (born 1957) is an American politician and was a Republican member of the Vermont Senate representing the Rutland District from 2017 to 2019. He was appointed to the State Senate by Governor Phil Scott Born in Portland, Maine, Souc ...

ran for reelection, and the other Republican candidates included McNeil, Ed Larson, and Terry Williams. In the August primary, the three Republican nominations were won by Collamore, McNeil, and Larson. In the November general election, the three top finishers were Collamore, McNeil, and Democrat Cheryl Hooker. McNeil started his Senate term in January 2019, and was appointed to the Education and Transportation Committees. In addition, he was named to the Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee, Legislative Council Committee, and Advisory Council on Child Poverty and Strengthening Families.

Personal life

In 1979, McNeil married Lori Ann Creaser of Ludlow. They have two children.

References

External links

Newspapers

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McNeil, James 1958 births Living people 21st-century American politicians Champlain College alumni People from Rutland (town), Vermont Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Republican Party Vermont state senators