Carl Ernst graduated from Highland High School in 1963. He received a Bachelors of Science degree in chemistry from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in 1968. In 1972 he earned a PhD in Organic Chemistry from SIU Carbondale where he also served as a graduate teaching assistant. During the 1972-73 academic year, Carl was a Post Doctoral Fellow with the National Research Council at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. During this time at Wright Patterson he conducted research studies in organosilicon chemistry and was recognized for two publications and two presentations.

In 1973 Carl took a position as research scientist with GAF Corporation. Through 1980 he held various technical and managerial positions of increasing responsibility for the photographic and reprographic division of GAF. 1981 saw Carl responsible for the successful sale of the photographic division of GAF. He then moved to the Anitec Image Corporation, serving as Senior Vice-President through 1989. He was responsible for research and product development efforts for the graphic arts film and paper business. R&D under his leadership contributed greatly to the sales growth of Anitec. Additionally, he was a key member of the team that successfully transitioned Anitec from a private to public company. The time period 1989-1997 Carl served as Director or Research and Business Development for the International Paper Company. His responsibilities included coordinating technologies. Also, he oversaw three major acquisitions that expanded the sales of the company to nearly $1 billion. From 199-2001 he served as CEO of EM Ernst Management, a medical and claims management service for insurance companies owned by his wife, Kathy Iberg Ernst. The business was sold in 2001 to a major insurance company.

Since 2004 Carl and Kathy keep busy managing a large horse farm in rural Pennsylvania. Their farm provides boarding and educational/recreational equestrian programs for youth and adults. Additionally, Carl was co-leader of a volunteer team responsible for negotiating a $200 million gas lease for 35,000 acres and 900 landowners in rural Pennsylvania in 2009.