Nonpartisan · District 5
Sam Neelam
Leadership for Better Results
Sam Neelam lost his mother at eighteen months old and grew up in a Catholic orphanage in India — one that took in children nobody was coming back for. A good education was the only thing that got him out. He came to America with almost nothing, built technology companies that do business worldwide, and is running so every child in Polk County gets the chance that education gave him.
Sam’s story
He grew up poor, in a Catholic orphanage that took in children nobody was coming back for.
What changed his life was not money, and it was not government. It was a good K–12 education — teachers who expected something of him, and the discipline to meet it.
He came to America more than twenty-five years ago with almost nothing and built technology companies that do business worldwide. Today he helps fund educational sponsorships for underprivileged children abroad — the same kind of help that changed his own life.
Now he is asking to serve the schools that serve Polk County’s children.
Education. Engineering. Results.
The STEM candidate
Sam is not a candidate who talks about the value of a STEM education. He is a product of one, he built companies with it, and he helps govern the university that teaches it.
- 01
Raised in a Catholic orphanage in India
From age three to twenty-one. Teachers who expected something of him, and the discipline to meet it.
- 02
Master's in computer science and mathematics
University of Hyderabad, after a bachelor's degree at Andhra Loyola College, a Jesuit institution.
- 03
Software engineer
AT&T. Merrill Lynch. Lucent Technologies. Citigroup.
- 04
Founder and CEO
Mentour Corporation, operating across four countries, with repeated recognition from the Inc. 5000 and the Deloitte Technology Fast 500. And Odin Group, building smart-home communities across Central Florida.
- 05
Trustee, Florida Polytechnic University
Florida's only all-STEM public university. Appointed in 2025 and confirmed by the Florida Senate. He also serves as a trustee of Florida TaxWatch.
- 06
Now: Polk County's classrooms
Running to bring the same standards to the schools that serve Polk County's children.
−6 → +6
In six days
On August 7 Sam trailed by six points in the Northeast Polk chamber straw poll. On August 13 he won Winter Haven by six — a twelve-point swing against a twenty-four-year incumbent.
2
Straw polls won back to back
Sam won the last two chamber straw polls of the race — Lakeland and Winter Haven — against an opponent who has held this seat for twenty-four years.
Endorsed by
Polk County RECKelli StargelDr. Devin StephensonMayor Joe GarrisonRicky NewmanPastor Steve Rance
Polk County Republican Executive Committee
Endorsed under Rule 8E
“Sam Neelam is a true conservative fighter. He was appointed to the Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees and confirmed by the Florida Senate, and he is the best candidate for this job — the one who can finally defeat an entrenched liberal incumbent after twenty-four years.”
Kelli Stargel
Former Florida State Senator
“I'm proud to endorse Sam Neelam for School Board. Through his service on the Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees and our work together on the Florida TaxWatch Board, I've seen firsthand Sam's dedication and hard work. He genuinely cares about students, their opportunities, and helping them succeed. I'm confident he will bring that same commitment to the School Board.”
Dr. Devin Stephenson
President, Florida Polytechnic University
Mayor Joe Garrison
Town of Dundee
Ricky Newman
Father of eight and grandfather of ten — at least one child in Polk County schools continuously since 1994
“Based on my experience as a father and grandfather, I believe Sam is the best candidate because of his focus on accountability, measurable results, and achieving a responsible return on the investment Polk County taxpayers make in our schools.”
Pastor Steve Rance
U.S. Air Force veteran
“Our schools need proven leadership and a strong voice for parents, teachers, and students. Sam Neelam is committed to better education and stronger communities. He has my endorsement and my full support.”
Where Sam Stands
Sam’s commitments to Polk County families. Open any one to read the details.
- 01
Parental Rights
Parents are responsible for their own children. The school system should support that responsibility, not work around it.
Read more - 02
Planning for Growth
Polk County is one of the fastest-growing places in Florida. Sam's answer to the district's biggest challenge is to plan for that growth before classrooms are overcrowded — not after.
Read more - 03
Back to Basics
Polk County's schools should be measured by how well they teach reading, writing, mathematics, and civics — not by how well they follow the latest trend.
Read more - 04
Teachers in Every Classroom
Polk County cannot teach children with vacant classrooms. Filling and keeping those positions is the first job.
Read more - 05
School Safety and Discipline
Every Polk County school should be safe and orderly — for students and for the adults who teach them.
Read more - 06
Accountability for Your Tax Dollars
Sam opposes the property tax referendum. He believes the district should optimize the budget it already has before asking Polk County families for more.
Read more - 07
School Choice
Sam calls school choice a fundamental right. Every option should stay available to Polk County parents, and accountability should follow the student wherever they sit.
Read more - 08
Technology in the Classroom
Technology is a tool, not a replacement for thinking. Students need to read, write, and reason without it.
Read more - 09
Faith and Values
Families of every faith should be respected in Polk County schools, and the values this country was built on should not be treated as something to apologize for.
Read more
In his own words
A letter to Polk County.
This race decides more than you think.
Sam wrote to Polk County voters about why this race matters and what he intends to do about it.
“I'm sitting here purely because of my education. If I didn't have the education I had, I wouldn't be here.”