EXHIBIT 10.(c)



                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT


        AGREEMENT between Glacier Bancorp, Inc., hereinafter called "Company",
and James H. Strosahl, hereinafter called "Executive"


                                    RECITALS

A.      Executive has served as Chief Financial Officer and Secretary/Treasurer
        and is willing also to serve as Executive Vice President of the Company.

B.      The Company desires Executive to continue his employment at the Company
        under the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

C.      Executive desires to continue his employment at the Company under the
        terms and conditions of this Agreement.

                                    AGREEMENT

1.      EMPLOYMENT. The Company agrees to employ Executive and Executive accepts
        employment by the Company on the terms and conditions set forth in this
        Agreement. Executive's title will be Executive Vice President, Chief
        Financial Officer and Secretary/Treasurer of the Company.

2.      TERM. The term of this Agreement ("Term") is one year, beginning on
        January 1, 2002.

3.      DUTIES. The Company will employ Executive as its Executive Vice
        President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary/Treasurer. Executive
        will faithfully and diligently perform his assigned duties, which are as
        follows:

        (a)    Executive Vice President. Duties and responsibilities as set
               forth in the document annexed, entitled "Executive Vice
               President".

        (b)    Chief Financial Officer - Secretary/Treasurer. Duties and
               responsibilities as set forth in. the documents annexed, entitled
               "Chief Financial Officer" and "Secretary/Treasurer".

        (c)    Report to Board. Executive will report directly to the Company's
               President and Chief Executive Officer. The Company's board of
               directors may, from time to time, modify Executive's title or
               add, delete, or modify Executive's performance responsibilities
               to accommodate management succession, as well as any other
               management objectives of the Company. Executive will assume any
               additional positions, duties and responsibilities as may
               reasonably be requested of him with or without additional
               compensation, as appropriate and consistent with Sections 3(a)
               and 3(b) of this Agreement.




4.      EXTENT OF SERVICES. Executive will devote all of his working time,
        attention and skill to the duties and responsibilities set forth in
        Section 3. To the extent that such activities do not interfere with his
        duties under Section 3, Executive may participate in other businesses as
        a passive investor, but (a) Executive may not actively participate in
        the operation or management of those businesses, and (b) Executive may
        not, without the Company's prior written consent, make or maintain any
        investment in a business with which the Company or its subsidiaries has
        an existing competitive or commercial relationship.

5.      SALARY. Executive will receive an annual salary of $175,000.00, to be
        paid in accordance with the Company's regular payroll schedule.
        Subsequent salary increases are subject to the Company's annual review
        of Executive's compensation and performance.

6.      INCENTIVE COMPENSATION. During the Term, the Company's board of
        directors will determine the amount of bonus to be paid by the Company
        to Executive for that year. In making this determination, the Company's
        board of directors will consider factors such as Executive's performance
        of his duties and the safety, soundness and profitability of the
        Company. Executive's bonus will reflect Executive's contribution to the
        performance of the Company during the year. This bonus will be paid to
        Executive no later than January 31 of the year following the year in
        which the bonus is earned by Executive.

7.      INCOME DEFERRAL. Executive will be eligible to participate in any
        program available to the Company's senior management for income
        deferral, for the purpose of deferring receipt of any or all of the
        compensation he may become entitled to under this Agreement.

8.      VACATION AND BENEFITS.

        (a)    Vacation and Holidays. Executive will receive four weeks of paid
               vacation each year in addition to all holidays observed by the
               Company and its subsidiaries. Executive may carry over, in the
               aggregate, up to four weeks of unused vacation to a subsequent
               year. Any unused vacation time in excess of four weeks will not
               accumulate or carry over from one calendar year to the next. Each
               calendar year, Executive shall take not less than one (1) week
               vacation.

        (b)    Benefits. Executive will be entitled to participate in any group
               life insurance, disability, health and accident insurance plans,
               profit sharing and pension plans and in other employee fringe
               benefit programs the Company may have in effect from time to time
               for its similarly situated employees, in accordance with and
               subject to any policies adopted by the Company's board of
               directors with respect to the plans or programs, including
               without limitation, any incentive or employee stock option plan,
               deferred compensation plan, 401(k) plan, and Supplemental
               Executive Retirement Plan (SERP). The Company through this
               Agreement does not obligate itself to make any particular
               benefits available to its employees.

        (c)    Business Expenses. The Company will reimburse Executive for
               ordinary and necessary expenses which are consistent with past
               practice at the Company (including, without limitation, travel,
               entertainment, and similar expenses) and which are incurred in
               performing and promoting the Company's business. Executive will
               present from time to time itemized accounts of these expenses,



               subject to any limits of the Company policy or the rules and
               regulations of the Internal Revenue Service.

9.      TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.

        (a)    Termination by the Company for Cause. If the Company terminates
               Executive's employment for Cause (defined below) before this
               Agreement terminates, the Company will pay Executive the salary
               earned and expenses reimbursable under this Agreement incurred
               through the date of his termination. Executive will have no right
               to receive compensation or other benefits for any period after
               termination under this Section 9(a).

        (b)    Other Termination by the Company. If the Company terminates
               Executive's employment without Cause before this Agreement
               terminates, or Executive terminates his employment for Good
               Reason (defined below), the Company will pay Executive for the
               remainder of the Term the compensation and other benefits he
               would have been entitled to if his employment had not terminated.

        (c)    Death or Disability. This Agreement terminates (1) if Executive
               dies or (2) if Executive is unable to perform his duties and
               obligations under this Agreement for a period of 90 consecutive
               days as a result of a physical or mental disability arising at
               any time during the term of this Agreement, unless with
               reasonable accommodation Executive could continue to perform his
               duties under this Agreement and making these accommodations would
               not pose an undue hardship on the Company. If termination occurs
               under this Section 9(c), Executive or his estate will be entitled
               to receive all compensation and benefits earned and expenses
               reimbursable through the date Executive's employment terminated.

        (d)    Termination Related to a Change in Control.

               (1)    Termination by Company. If the Company, or its successor
                      in interest by merger, or its transferee in the event of a
                      purchase in an assumption transaction (for reasons other
                      than Executive's death, disability, or Cause) (1)
                      terminates Executive's employment within 3 years following
                      a Change in Control (as defined below), or (2) terminates
                      Executive's employment before the Change in Control but on
                      or after the date that any party either announces or is
                      required by law to announce any prospective Change in
                      Control transaction and a Change in Control occurs within
                      six months after the termination, the Bank will provide
                      Executive with the greater of (1) the payment and benefits
                      described in Section 9(d)(3) below, or (2) the
                      compensation and other benefits he would have been
                      entitled to for the remainder of the Term if his
                      employment had not been terminated.

               (2)    Termination by Executive. If Executive terminates
                      Executive's employment, with or without Good Reason,
                      within two years following a Change in Control, the
                      Company will provide Executive with the payment and
                      benefits described in Section 9(d)(3).

               (3)    Payments. If Section 9(d)(1) or (2) is triggered in
                      accordance with its terms, the Company will: (i) pay
                      Executive in 24 monthly installments in



                      an amount equal to two times the Executive's annual salary
                      (determined as of the day before the date Executive's
                      employment was terminated) and (ii) maintain and provide
                      for 2 years following Executive's termination, at no cost
                      to Executive, the benefits described in Section 9(b) to
                      which Executive is entitled (determined as of the day
                      before the date of such termination); but if Executive's
                      participation in any such benefit is thereafter barred or
                      not feasible, or discontinued or materially reduced, the
                      Company will arrange to provide Executive with either
                      benefits substantially similar to those benefits or a cash
                      payment of substantially similar value in lieu of the
                      benefits.

        (e)    Limitations on Payments Related to Change in Control. The
               following apply notwithstanding any other provision of this
               Agreement:

               (1)    the total of the payments and benefits described in
                      Section 9(d)(3) will be less than the amount that would
                      cause them to be a parachute payment" within the meaning
                      of Section 280G(b)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code;

               (2)    the payment and benefits described in Section 9(d)(3) will
                      be reduced by any compensation (in the form of cash or
                      other benefits) received by Executive from the Company or
                      its successor after the Change in Control; and

               (3)    Executive's right to receive the payments and benefits
                      described in Section 9(d)(3) terminates (U immediately if
                      before the Change in Control transaction closes, Executive
                      terminates his employment without Good Reason, or the
                      Company terminates Executive's employment for Cause, or
                      (ii) two years after a Change of Control occurs.

        (f)    Return of Bank Property. If and when Executive ceases, for any
               reason, to be employed by the Company, Executive must return to
               the Company all keys, pass cards, identification. cards and any
               other property of the Company. At the same time, Executive also
               must return to the Company all originals and copies (whether in
               memoranda, designs, devices, diskettes, tapes, manuals, and
               specifications) which constitute proprietary information or
               material of the Company and its subsidiaries. The obligations in
               this paragraph include the return of documents and other
               materials which may be in his desk at work, in his car, in place
               of residence, or in any other location under his control.

        (g)    Cause. "Cause" means any one or more of the following:

               (1)    Willful misfeasance or gross negligence in the performance
                      of Executive's duties;

               (2)    Conviction of a crime in connection with his duties;

               (3)    Conduct demonstrably and significantly harmful to the
                      Company, as reasonably determined on the advice of legal
                      counsel by the Company's board of directors; or



               (4)    Permanent disability, meaning a physical or mental
                      impairment which renders Executive incapable of
                      substantially performing the duties required under this
                      Agreement, and which is expected to continue rendering
                      Executive so incapable for the reasonably foreseeable
                      future.

        (h)    Good Reason. "Good Reason" means only any one or more of the
               following:

               (1)    Reduction of Executive's salary or reduction or
                      elimination of any compensation or benefit plan benefiting
                      Executive, unless the reduction or elimination is
                      generally applicable to substantially all Company
                      employees (or employees of a successor or controlling
                      entity of the Company) formerly benefitted;

               (2)    The assignment to Executive without his consent of any
                      authority or duties materially inconsistent with
                      Executive's position as of the date of this Agreement;

               (3)    The material breach of this Agreement by the Company, or

               (4)    A relocation or transfer of Executive's principal place of
                      employment outside Flathead County, Montana.

        (i)    Change in Control. "Change in Control" means a change "in the
               ownership or effective control" or "in the ownership of a
               substantial portion of the assets" of the Company, within the
               meaning of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code.

10.     CONFIDENTIALITY. Executive will not, after the date this Agreement was
        signed, including during and after its Term, use for his own purposes or
        disclose to any other person or entity any confidential business
        information concerning the Company or its business operations or that of
        its subsidiaries, unless (1) the Company consents to the use or
        disclosure of confidential information; (2) the use or disclosure is
        consistent with Executive's duties under this Agreement, or (3)
        disclosure is required by law or court order. For purposes of this
        Agreement, confidential business information includes, without
        limitation, trade secrets (as defined under the Montana Uniform Trade
        Secrets Act, Montana Code Section 30-14-402), various confidential
        information on investment management practices, marketing plans, pricing
        structure and technology of either the Company or its subsidiaries.
        Executive will also treat the terms of this Agreement as confidential
        business information.

11.     NONCOMPETITION. During the Term of this Agreement and for a period of
        two years after Executive's employment with the Company has terminated,
        Executive will not, directly or indirectly, as a shareholder, director,
        officer, employee, partner, agent, consultant, lessor, creditor or
        otherwise:

        (a)    provide management, supervisory or other similar services to any
               person or entity engaged in any business in counties in which the
               Company or its subsidiaries may have a presence which is
               competitive with the business of the Company or a subsidiary as
               conducted during the term of this Agreement or as conducted as of
               the date of termination of employment, including any preliminary
               steps associated with the formation of a new bank.



        (b)    persuade or entice, or attempt to persuade or entice any employee
               of the Company or a subsidiary to terminate his/her employment
               with the Company or a subsidiary.

        (c)    persuade or entice or attempt to persuade or entice any person or
               entity to terminate, cancel, rescind or revoke its business or
               contractual relationships with the Company or its subsidiaries.

12.     ENFORCEMENT.

        (a)    The Company and Executive stipulate that, in light of all of the
               facts and circumstances of the relationship between Executive and
               the Company, the agreements referred to in Sections 10 and 11
               (including without limitation their scope, duration and
               geographic extent) are fair and reasonably necessary for the
               protection of the Company and its subsidiaries confidential
               information, goodwill and other protectable interests. If a court
               of competent jurisdiction should decline to enforce any of those
               covenants and agreements, Executive and the Company request the
               court to reform these provisions to restrict Executive's use of
               confidential information and Executive's ability to compete with
               the Company to the maximum extent, in time, scope of activities
               and geography, the court finds enforceable.

        (b)    Executive acknowledges the Company will suffer immediate and
               irreparable harm that will not be compensable by damages alone if
               Executive repudiates or breaches any of the provisions of
               Sections 10 or 11 or threatens or attempts to do so. For this
               reason, under these circumstances, the Company, in addition to
               and without limitation of any other rights, remedies or damages
               available to it at law or in equity, will be entitled to obtain
               temporary, preliminary and permanent injunctions in order to
               prevent or restrain the breach, and the Company will not be
               required to post a bond as a condition for the granting of this
               relief.

13.     COVENANTS. Executive specifically acknowledges the receipt of adequate
        consideration for the covenants contained in Sections 10 and 11 and that
        the Company is entitled to require him to comply with these Sections.
        These Sections will survive termination of this Agreement. Executive
        represents that if his employment is terminated, whether voluntarily or
        involuntarily, Executive has experience and capabilities sufficient to
        enable Executive to obtain employment in areas which do not violate this
        Agreement and that the Company's enforcement of a remedy by way of
        injunction will not prevent Executive from earning a livelihood.

14.     ARBITRATION.

        (a)    Arbitration. At either party's request, the parties must submit
               any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or in connection
               with, or relating to, this Agreement or any breach or alleged
               breach of this Agreement, to arbitration under the American
               Arbitration Association's rules then in effect (or under any
               other form of arbitration mutually acceptable to the parties). A
               single arbitrator agreed on by the parties will conduct the
               arbitration. If the parties cannot agree on a single arbitrator,
               each party must select one arbitrator and those two arbitrators
               will select a third arbitrator. This third arbitrator will hear
               the dispute. The



               arbitrator's decision is final (except as otherwise specifically
               provided by law) and binds the parties, and either party may
               request any court having jurisdiction to enter a judgment and to
               enforce the arbitrator's decision. The arbitrator will provide
               the parties with a written decision naming the substantially
               prevailing party in the action. This prevailing party is entitled
               to reimbursement from the other party for its costs and expenses,
               including reasonable attorneys' fees.

        (b)    Governing Law. All proceedings will be held at a place designated
               by the arbitrator in Flathead County, Montana. The arbitrator, in
               rendering a decision as to any state law claims, will apply
               Montana law.

        (c)    Exception to Arbitration. Notwithstanding the above, if Executive
               violates Section 10 or 11, the Company will have the right to
               initiate the court proceedings described in Section 12(b), in
               lieu of an arbitration proceeding under this Section 14.

15.     MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

        (a)    Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire
               understanding and agreement between the parties concerning its
               subject matter and supersedes all prior agreements,
               correspondence, representations, or understandings between the
               parties relating to its subject matter.

        (b)    Binding Effect. This Agreement will bind and inure to the benefit
               of the Company's, its subsidiaries' and Executive's heirs, legal
               representatives, successors and assigns.

        (c)    Litigation Expenses. If either party successfully seeks to
               enforce any provision of this Agreement or to collect any amount
               claimed to be due under it, this party will be entitled to
               reimbursement from the other party for any and all of its
               out-of-pocket expenses and costs including, without limitation,
               reasonable attorneys' fees and costs incurred in connection with
               the enforcement or collection.

        (d)    Waiver. Any waiver by a party of its rights under this Agreement
               must be written and signed by the party waiving its rights. A
               party's waiver of the other party's breach of any provision of
               this Agreement will not operate as a waiver of any other breach
               by the breaching party.

        (e)    Assignment. The services to be rendered by Executive under this
               Agreement are unique and personal. Accordingly, Executive may not
               assign any of his rights or duties under this Agreement.

        (f)    Amendment. This Agreement may be modified only through a written
               instrument signed by both parties.

        (g)    Severability. The provisions of this Agreement are severable. The
               invalidity of any provision will not affect the validity of other
               provisions of this Agreement.

        (h)    Governing Law and Venue. This Agreement will be governed by and
               construed in accordance with Montana law, except to the extent
               that certain regulatory



               matters may be governed by federal law. The parties must bring
               any legal proceeding arising out of this Agreement in Flathead
               County, Montana.

        (i)    Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
               counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original,
               but all of which taken together will constitute one and the same
               instrument.

                                             GLACIER BANCORP, INC.

                                             By:  /s/ Michael J. Blodnick
                                                --------------------------------
                                             President/CEO

Attest: By:

By:  /s/ LeeAnn Wardinsky
   -------------------------------
Assistant Secretary

                                             EXECUTIVE

                                             By:  /s/ James H. Strosahl
                                                --------------------------------