Earl Mathers

Earl, along with his wife Kallie, relocated to Staunton, Virginia in 2019 after retiring from a lengthy career in public administration. For many years Earl served as a local government executive, most recently as county manager for Gaston County, North Carolina. Prior to that he was the County Administrator for Gallatin County, Montana. Earlier in his career, Earl worked for twelve years in Washington, DC and abroad, including six years with the Graduate School USDA (now the Graduate School USA). Earl has published numerous articles in professional journals within the public administration field.

During the transition of former Soviet satellite countries to more democratic forms of government, Earl worked under US Government contract (USAID), assisting local governments in those countries with more open local government development and capacity building. This international work included long-term assignments in Lithuania and Romania.

Earl has experience in most phases of local government including HR, Budget and Finance, economic development, community health, social services, emergency management, law enforcement, planning, training, organizational development, community and intergovernmental relations. In addition to a master’s in public administration, Earl was trained and certified in Economic Development Finance. He is also conversant in Spanish.

An avid outdoor recreationalist, Earl spends considerable time hiking and biking in the surrounding area. He is also active in his church life. Earl and Kallie, married for over forty years, have four children and seven grandchildren.