Boardman native to return to Valley as university's new budget director

McNally worked in budget and resource planning for the Ohio Board of Regents.
THE VINDICATOR
YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Boardman native who has worked in Columbus for more than a decade is returning to the Mahoning Valley to serve as budget director at Youngstown State University.
Neal McNally, who graduated from Boardman High School in 1990 and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Ohio State University in 1994, begins his duties as director of budget planning and resource analysis at YSU on Monday.
"I'm excited because I have a very special bond with YSU that began as a young boy," said McNally, who recalls attending YSU basketball and football games. "So, this is a real homecoming for me."
Qualifications
While attending Ohio State, he got his first taste of the state budget as a legislative staff member for the Ohio House of Representatives' Finance and Appropriations Committee and found the budget process to be "fascinating."
In 1995, McNally became a research analyst for budget and resource planning at the Ohio Board of Regents, the statewide coordinating body for higher education. After receiving a master's degree in public administration from Ohio State in 1997, he became administrator of financial analysis for OBR.
In 2000, McNally was promoted to assistant director of budget and resource planning for OBR. He coordinated the state's higher education operating budget, directed and managed the calculation of state subsidies and communicated the impact of budget changes and decisions to university campuses.
McNally said he is excited about taking his experience in statewide higher education and applying it on the university level.
His extensive experience working at the Ohio Board of Regents makes McNally an invaluable resource for YSU as it faces budget challenges, said Eileen Greaf, YSU executive director of financial services.