Commissioner Keigher lives in Gastonia along with his wife, Donna. They have four adult children and three grandchildren, all living in the greater Charlotte area.
He graduated from Mater Dei HS, New Monmouth, NJ in 1970 and enrolled at Belmont Abbey College in August 1970. He graduated with a degree in Education and taught in Gaston County for two years before taking a position with The Massey Company headquartered in Mount Holly.
After 25 years, he looked for a change and was offered the position of Executive Director of the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs of Gaston and Lincoln Counties. Following a couple of years at the Clubs, he decided to go back to school and trained for and received his life, health, long-term care, and annuity insurance license and began a Medicare Insurance Practice in Gaston County, in which he is still involved.
While at The Massey Company, he was mentored by the company CEO, who was very involved with community affairs and service. Commissioner Keigher was inspired, and decided to follow in Mr. Henry Massey's footsteps - first by serving as a member of his church's Education Commission, teaching CCD Classes and later being elected to the Parish Council at Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church in Belmont. He later became involved with numerous volunteer boards, including Gaston - Lincoln Mental Health Board and Catherine's House on Sacred Heart College campus in Belmont.
In 1998 he made the decision to run for elected office and won a four-year term on the seven-member Gaston County Board of Commissioners. He was elected again five more times and is in the middle of his sixth term. He served as chairman of the board in 2004, 2005, and 2016 as well as serving twice as its vice-chairman.
He has been elected to the NC Association of County Commissioners as a District Director in 2010 and again in 2014, and served numerous times as Chairman and Vice-Chairman. He was elected to the NC. Board of Directors for two terms, where he represents an eight-county region and served on the state Executive Board.
Over the past twenty-plus years, he has served on numerous state and county appointed boards, including the countywide Water and Sewer study committee, the Centralina Council of Government (five terms), Gaston Family Health Services, Gaston Memorial Hospital Board of Directors, the Greater Gaston Development Corporation as a Business Analyst position, the Gaston County Chamber of Commerce, the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, the Home and Community Block Grant Advisory Committee, the Gaston County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Quality of Natural Resource Board, the Gaston County Social Service Board (14 years), the Gaston County Health and Human Services Board and the Partners Behavioral Health Management Board. He served as chairman for many of the listed boards. He was inducted into the Belmont Abbey Wall of Fame in 2018 and is an active alumni member. Currently, Commissioner Keigher serves on the Gaston College Board of Trustees, the Gaston Regional Chamber, the Gaston County Museum of Art and History, and the Gaston County Economic Development Commission and serves as a driver for the Gaston County Board of Social Services Meals on Wheels program.
925 Ramsgate Drive
Gastonia, NC 28056