race saw Pappageorge outnumbered by a 3-to-1 ratio and in the end Pappageorge narrowed the loss to a 2.5% swing of the vote. The 1994 race earned national attention when then Congressman Newt Gingrich called the core of volunteers that helped the campaign “the Pappageorge Army…the best application of grassroots volunteers in America.” Beating out three others, McNeilly was elected to the state GOP's post of Youth Vice Chairman from 1993 to 1994. He was first employed at the central Republican Party's office in 1988, while still in high school, by then Chairman E. Spencer Abraham. Later, in 1997, he returned to serve as the Communication's Director for the Michigan Republican Party and then in 1998–2000 as its Political Director. In 1998, Michigan Republicans had the most successful political year capturing all statewide offices, except Attorney General, including the state Supreme Court. In 2003, he returned to the Michigan Republican Party to serve as Executive Director under Chairman Betsy DeVos. The duo inherited an organization $1.2 million in debt, the debt was overcome and the party was a key player in the 2004 electoral map. In 2009, McNeilly served as a consultant to Michigan Republican Party Chairman Ron Weiser. McNeilly, a product of both public and private schools, has been a key player in Michigan education reform battles. In 2000, he was Communication's Director for the Kids First Yes! ballot proposal that would have legalized k12 school vouchers and merit pay for teachers. In 2001, he was the Executive Director of a start-up school reform advocacy organization, Choices for Children. Since 2007, he has been a member of the board of directors of the Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP) under its Chairman E. James Barrett. In late 2009, McNeilly announced he would be serving as Vice President of Administration for the Windquest Group, a company led by Betsy and Dick DeVos. In 2012, McNeilly became the Windquest Group's Chief Operating Officer. Controversy During the 2004 election cycle, McNeilly admitted to leading the charge to put independent Presidential candidate Ralph Nader on the ballot. McNeilly defended the move by claiming it was simply a matter of providing choice to the voters. Local Democrats filed legal action against him but ultimately failed and he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Later in the same election, McNeilly accused filmmaker Michael Moore of breaking Michigan election law by bribing college students to vote. Moore was