I will say publicly that I think Neil would make an excellent REO, heck, he's doing the job already and has been a real asset to the club where that is concerned.
I don't feel I'm in a position to comment on the subject in hand though as I am obviously part of the perceived problem.
I can honestly say that I've never seen a topic in the team section in the time I've been a moderator that stated someone's wish to join the team. Not a single one.
As has already been said, new moderators generally stick out a mile and choose themselves. Sometimes there are enough stand out candidates to make the choice difficult but other times it's a no brainer.