To whom it may concern:

About four Christmases ago I was fortunate enough to meet Dave Neal. The lead actress in our church musical had asked him for some advice on her part, and the next thing we knew he had volunteered to direct and produce our most amazing “Broadway-style” Christmas production ever, One Quiet Night.

That was the beginning of a two-year association with Dave that I will never forget. The intensity of his involvement with the Christmas play was paired with his readiness to get to know our congregation, and to work closely with my choir. He believed that in order to have a successful production everyone needed to be interested and involved. And they were!

Dave developed all aspects of the presentation. He trained sound crew and stage crew, created choir staging, taught us the dances and acting, and completely turned the stage from a wood floor in the corner to an expansive, elaborate set appropriate for drama, singing and dancing. This vision was only the first of several that Dave brought to Mt. Healthy UMC.

In the spring Dave brought the drama production of his school to our other church building and completely converted the space into a theatrical venue worthy of the large audience that had traveled from Kentucky to enjoy seeing their students in one of Dave’s anticipated productions.

That summer, Dave designed a unique opportunity for us to serve our community through a Fine Arts Camp. About 60 young people experienced a week of fully-developed sessions in multiple areas of the arts: drama, dance, music, visual arts and literature. The culmination of the project was a program which included all areas in which the campers were instructed, and a joyful party to celebrate. The children left with a certificate, t-shirt, balloons and plenty of treats (prepared by his wife and daughter).

For the next year, Dave made himself available to our music ministry as a soloist, music mentor and creative advisor. I always knew I needed to take advantage of the time he was contributing to our church, because he would be moving on to other things. And he did. Dave Neal is a person who immerses himself in his endeavors, whatever they may be. I enjoyed the time working with him and stretching. He stretched our resources in a way that only a visionary like himself could imagine. If you have the opportunity to build an association with Dave Neal – please take it. Seize the moment!