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NGAUS has filled the final vacancy in its membership and marketing department at the association's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Michael McNeill is the association’s new manager of membership and marketing. He started Monday.
McNeill will help develop marketing materials for NGAUS membership recruiting and other activities, including the association’s annual conference.
He said the NGAUS mission attracted him.
“It’s an advocacy group helping out our National Guard members with anything that they’re going through," McNeill explained.
Born in Alexandria, Virginia, to a military family, McNeill now resides in Stafford, Virginia.
His mother served in the Army, while his father was in the Marine Corps.
But McNeill says another relative’s time in the Air Guard is the closest link between his family and NGAUS.
“My cousin-slash-uncle depending on who you talk to was part of the Air National Guard,” he said.
“I’ve always respected the way he carries himself and how he is a take-charge person but also very giving,” McNeill continued.
“He is sort of the big guy in the family. Putting my stamp on the Guard as well is a nice touch.”
Before reaching NGAUS, McNeill worked as a print production specialist at Stafford Printing starting in August 2017.
Now, McNeill says he is most excited about bringing his design skills to the association.
McNeill studied digital animation at Philadelphia University.
He has also created posters, logos and 2D and 3D artwork for clients as a freelance designer.
“Once I get past the phase of just like learning everything and keeping up with the current standards of the association, I’m looking to see how I can insert my own creative ideas,” he said.
“I’ve missed it for the last few years, so I’m excited to get back into that,” McNeill added of creative design.
He is also excited about bringing fresh ideas to how NGAUS interacts with the association’s members.
For example, McNeill hopes he can make the association’s outreach “more inviting.”
“It’s a very welcoming environment with people who love what they do,” he said of NGAUS.
“I’ve got a lot of military-adjacent in my family,” McNeill concluded. “It’s always been in the background.”
— By Mark Hensch
