Jack Neel was born April 19, 1930, in West Virginia, but he grew up in nearby Pearisburg, Virginia. He attended Pearisburg High and graduated with the class of 1948. While at Virginia Tech, Neel married Kathryn Hale on July 22, 1950. In 1952 he graduated with a degree in civil engineering and entered the U.S. Army, where he served until 1954. Afterwards, he returned to Virginia Tech to obtain his master’s degree in sanitary engineering in 1956. In July 1957, Neel became town superintendent of Tazewell, Virginia, serving until August 1959. He began working as city manager in Roxboro in September of that year. In early 1967, Neel was hired as city manager for Albemarle, where he served until retiring in 1985. Due to his passion for serving and his love for Albemarle, he served on the City Council from 1987 to 2013. In addition, he served in many ways through his church and volunteer efforts. Neel passed away Nov. 12, 2018. Due to Neel’s many years of service to Albemarle, on June 19, 2020, the city water treatment plant was renamed in his honor. {Lewis Bramlett – Stanly County Historical Society}