Mary Ellen Fitzgerald is a Gallatin Valley native whose ancestors arrived in the valley by 1867. She was an English and history teacher for over 37  years before being elected as the Gallatin County Superintendent of Schools in 2002, retiring in 2015. She is currently a member of the Belgrade School Board, the Historic Preservation Board of Gallatin County, the East Gallatin/Hamilton Cemetery Board, and the Gallatin History Museum Board.