A graduate of the Carleton University journalism program in Ottawa, Neil earned a Master of Arts degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies from UNBC in 2004. He has received provincial and national recognition for his work, including a National Newspaper Award nomination for editorial writing, a Ma Murray Award for editorial writing from the B.C./Yukon Community Newspaper Association and Best News Story and Best News Photo from the Canadian Community Newspapers Association. Locally, Neil has received awards of appreciation from the Prince George Brain Injured Group and the PG Pride Society for his editorial stances. Neil is also the author of the Broken Guardian trilogy of young adult urban fantasy novels. Dissolve and Resolve, the second and third books in the series, were finalists for Best Young Adult Novel from the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association in 2013 and 2014 respectively. He is the past president of the Nechako Rotary Club and remains active in local Rotary initiatives, particularly Operation Red Nose. He is currently serving as a debate coach for the UNBC JDC West team.