Melinda Gates
Following Stanford's death, Neilson was recruited for a new position with an emerging foundation which would become the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, Bill Gates Sr. and Patty Stonesifer hired Neilson to serve as Director of Communications for the Gates Learning Foundation. Following that, the Gates Learning Foundation merged with the William H. Gates Foundation and Neilson became Director of Communications for the newly combined entity named the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation. During his time as Director of Communications for the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, Neilson also served as personal spokesperson for Bill and Melinda Gates on issues unrelated to their philanthropic work.