About Neely

Neely has had the great good fortune to be able to try her hand in many different fields. She began as a pediatric audiologist in a large Special Education School District. Her dilettante nature led her to a stint as a concierge, a translator and interpreter, and the chief administrator of a large gay medical practice specializing in AIDS. Neely feels that this is all the result of a curious nature rather than some bizarre form of Attention Deficit Syndrome.

The last two decades found her working in the entertainment industry where she started as an assistant at Twentieth Century Fox Television and was lucky enough to land at Kelley Productions, eventually as SVP of development. Neely read thousands of writer submissions, books, short stories, plays and features looking for that next writer and next project for David Kelley. After a hiatus of some years, during which this blog was created, Neely is now back at work for David Kelley as Executive Vice President of Development. She is also on the adjunct faculty of the USC School of Cinematic Arts in the writing division and has, in the past worked as a dramaturge in the theater, as well as an expert witness. Neely began No Meaner Place because she realized that writers need a non-partisan champion, someone with no personal stake (although that may shift with her new professional duties)  to take up the cause of excellent writing – she hopes to be that champion. Nevertheless, in that vicious cycle that makes Hollywood no meaner place, neither Neely nor No Meaner Place accepts unsolicited material.