February 2026 Luncheon

William L. McDaniel, Jr. was born in Franklin, Penn., on March 25, 1961, the eldest of three children. His mother, brother (a retired Marine Corps staff sergeant) and sister still live in the Franklin area. A 1979 graduate of Rocky Grove High School, William enrolled at Clarion State University, where he majored in accounting and computer programming with a minor in economics. To pay for college, William worked as a carpenter. A job building a stable (Naples Therapeutic Riding Center) brought him to Naples in 1981, and he has lived in the area ever since.

After moving to Naples, William became a licensed real estate salesperson and, in 1985, he became a licensed Realtor. He founded the Realty Company in 1987, which he manages today, focusing on the sale, management, and development of real estate in Southwest Florida. In 1998, he founded Big Island Excavating, Inc., a mining company with…