The recipient of a bachelor's degree in building science and management from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa, Neil Wolfe Barnett completed an internship after graduation at Gilles Mason and then was subsequently hired as a lead site engineer. In this capacity, he oversaw steel embed materials purchasing and construction work on behalf of the largest steel plant in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1980, Neil Wolfe Barnett relocated to the United States and served as a lead investor at Barron, Inc., in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he developed more than 100 single-family homes and was part of an investment group developing apartments..

Neil Barnett has since served as a project manager at Intersouth Properties, Jolly Development, Fuel Source, and ASI. In his most recent role as senior project manager of steel and commercial structures at Porter Steel in Atlanta, Georgia, he managed all aspects in the development phase of ground-up structures, including budget analysis, resource allocation, and communication with general contractors, architects, and engineers.

Mr. Barnett is particularly interested in the development of affordable housing. After more than 45 years of relevant experience, he regularly attends the Home Builders and International Council of Shopping Centers conventions in Las Vegas, Nevada. His hobbies include surfing, skiing, cooking, and traveling.