William R. McNeal

William R. McNeal became executive director of the North Carolina Association of School Administrators in July 2006 after retiring from his position as superintendent of the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, North Carolina. In his current role, he leads the membership association that serves almost 7,000 public school administrators from all 115 school districts in North Carolina.

McNeal is a ‘home-grown’ superintendent who experienced the entire 30-year history of the consolidated Wake County Public School System, from the classroom to the boardroom. Aside from his current role and brief stints in the military and teaching in Connecticut, his entire professional career was devoted to Wake County students. In 1974, McNeal became a social studies teacher at Carroll Junior High in Wake County. He was promoted to assistant principal in 1976 and then served as principal at East Garner Middle and Martin Middle Schools. In 1985, he became an assistant superintendent for administration, then an associate superintendent for auxiliary services and, in 1992, the associate superintendent for instructional services—an eight-year role as the superintendent’s right-hand man responsible for students’ academic progress. During this time, he became a key player in the development of the district’s Goal 2003. In 2000, the Wake County Board of Education called upon McNeal to be superintendent and lead the school system he had served for so many years.

McNeal has received many awards and honors for his service to public schools, including being named the National Superintendent of the Year in 2004 by the American Association of School Administrators. In July 2005, he was appointed the superintendent advisor to the North Carolina State Board of Education, a post he held until June 2006. He is a member of a number of boards: WakeMed Foundation; Peace College; Golden Corral; Triangle New School; North Carolina Public School Forum; Education: Everybody’s Business Coalition; and Lightner Foundation.