Leslie Neal

After graduating from Rutgers, Newark College of Arts and Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Photography, I spent years working in a variety of industries from home heating oil and telecommunications to casino banking and merchandise distribution. My strength has always been my ability to listen to the needs of both the customer and the company coupled with no fear of Plan B or C, if that's what it takes. When presented with a problem, I seek the solution that will benefit all concerned. One example of this was a customer who had ordered lamps from my company. The lamps were delivered; however, the finials to hold the heavy shades on were not included. After several calls to the manufacturer, I was advised that they NEVER make shipping errors and therefore could not provide the missing parts. I went to a home store and purchased finials that were similar to the originals and shipped them to the customer, problem solved. The customer was happy and my company was impressed with my initiative. I am detail orientated and observant. While working at a major Las Vegas casino, I was responsible for the apprehension of five different people attempting to defraud the casino. I was awarded a commendation by the Director of Security as a result. My colleagues asked how I was able to tell that the identifications were fraudulent and I would quip that I was putting my degree to use. The criminal had used the wrong shade of blue for the background color on their fake driver's license and Times New Roman instead of Courier New for the font. When I was a child I use to watch a show that starred George Plimpton. He was a man that would try all different kinds of professions and become good at them. I decided to pattern my life after his example. As a result, I came to experience and excel in a variety of industries. I have never been afraid to begin again starting in an entry level position and working my way up. At Nextel, I became so knowledgeable, they wanted to start an intranet site called, 'Ask Leslie'. I am a single mother raising two sons who are now 20 and 16 years old. Everyday, I try to instill the qualities of honesty, dependability, perseverance and flexibility in my boys. They are turning into good men of whom I am very proud. Since being unemployed, I have written a novel and launched a photographic tile and home decor website turning my lifelong creative passions into reality.