Get to Know Your HRD Board of Directors- Michelle McNeil
How long have you been a resident of the Highlands?
I moved to the Highlands with my husband and two sons in 1995.
What do you love most about living in the Highlands?
The community, Eichler homes, open space, watching the fog roll in over the hills, proximity to the ocean, the city, Silicon Valley, and most of all our Highlands Recreation Center.
How long have you served on the BOD?
Almost 15 years
What inspires you to serve on the BOD?
The Highlands Recreation Center was a key reason for moving into the neighborhood back in 1995, the year my oldest son was about to start Kindergarten. Both my sons participated in the ASP (Afternoon School Program), and the oldest was also on the swim team, and later became a lifeguard and camp counselor. Joining the BOD was an opportunity to give back to the community and expand our offerings, including the opening of the EEC (Early Education Center).
What is one thing you would like the Highlands Community to know about you?
I enjoy the outdoors. You may have seen me on my daily walks with Axel, my Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, while I am on conference calls for work, out to get exercise, or to join the daily “Hokey Pokey” group that gets together on Forge.
What is the most important challenge for the District in the coming years?
Ensuring we have a master plan for our aging facilities, while continuing to ensure we have beneficial, safe and enriching services for all age groups in the Community.
What is one positive thing you gained during the COVID-19 pandemic? What do you look forward to after the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us?
From a professional standpoint, I run the Global Crisis Management team for a software company in Silicon Valley with over 35K employees, and led a rapid response with the global shift to work from home, focusing on safety and well-being, productivity, expanding benefits and monitoring colleague sentiment, establishing new policies, virtualizing events, and more. This allowed me to also share some of our best practices with the HRD team on safety protocols and communications. Post pandemic, I look forward to in person events (although have enjoyed connecting with friends and family virtually) and resuming travel.