Gary A. Keel

Gary A. Keel’s upbringing in Hope, Indiana, revolved around family, the Moravian Church, and sports. His father, an Eisenhower Republican and decorated World War II veteran, exposed him to politics through hunting trips with local politicians, and discussions during poker games at the local American Legion Hall. His mother, a Great Society/War on Poverty Democrat, exposed him to pressing social issues by taking him on trips into the back woods to introduce the rural poor to social welfare programs.

He enlisted in the military, spending a year in Vietnam where many childhood ideals were challenged. A degree in political science and a graduate degree in Public Administration from Indiana University led to his career with the federal government, where he moved up the hierarchy to executive level positions. He was appointed by Ronald Reagan to a task force designed to set up Inspector Generals throughout the government. When George W. Bush was elected, he was appointed to a political position where he gained an intricate understanding of government.

Milestones in his career included talking to Secretary of State Colin Powell the morning of his infamous WMD speech at the UN, and a discussion with Bono about his philanthropic projects in Africa. He worked with special assistants to Leonid Brezhnev and Nobel Prize winner Lech Walesa on business development programs in Russia and Poland. His work on economic development projects around the world included a geothermal plant in India, sanitary wells in Kenya, and entry-level housing development in South Africa. When NAFTA was adopted, he worked with maquiladoras in Mexico.

The above provided a backdrop for his novel Executive Order 14900 and its sequels, which together form the compelling Strife in America series.