Heartbreaking News about an ISI Colleague

This is a tough one to write.

Early this morning we received stunning news: our ISI colleague and friend Neil Longo has died.

The news has rocked us back on our heels. Neil has been active with ISI since his undergraduate days at Brigham Young University, where he led the ISI Society on campus. He did such impressive work as an ISI student leader that we were delighted when he joined the ISI team in early 2016, after several months working on Capitol Hill.

As regional director for the West Coast, Neil was responsible for introducing college students to the same ISI experience he had benefited from as a student. He took to the role with gusto. Smart and funny, Neil presented students with an impressive model of intellectual curiosity and civil discourse. But he was not content to live in the world of abstract ideas; like so many other ISI alumni, he had a passion for putting principles into practice.

Only two weeks ago, at our quarterly all-team meeting, Neil impressed his colleagues with his reports of what was happening in his region. He was growing the ISI presence dramatically in the Pacific Northwest. In short order he had more than doubled the number of ISI Societies there. The ISI Society at Seattle University, organized just last year, now boasts close to one hundred student members.

So the news of his death leaves us stunned and grieving. It’s almost impossible to conceive that it is really true. If you ever met Neil, you probably feel the same sense of shock and loss. Please join us in sending prayers to Neil’s family and friends during this difficult time.

Requiescat in pace.