Legal Practice Hall of Fame Award: Wm. Michael Begley
Mike is a native of Black Mountain who has been dedicated to community engagement, elected public service, and professional guidance throughout his life. He has strived to be a community servant leader through 7 years as Alderman and 13 years as Mayor of Black Mountain, many years as an Elder and later as Clerk of Session at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, as co-founder of the Black Mountain – Swannanoa Valley Community Endowment Fund in 1999, as co-founder of the Black Mountain Counseling Center in 2007, as chair of the Asheville Urban Area Transportation Commission, as board member of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, as board member of Montreat Development Foundation, and through leadership among many other community organizations and nonprofits.
Mike attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from which he received two degrees. He attended college as a Morehead Scholar (Class of 1974) and continued his studies at the UNC School of Law (Class of 1977). Mike practiced law at Brock, Begley, & Drye (1977-1985) in Asheville before founding Begley Law Firm in 1985 in his hometown of Black Mountain. While serving on the board of the Real Property Section Council, he chaired committees on the unauthorized practice of law and on establishing uniform statewide computer indexing standards for land records.
Despite his dedication to public and professional service, Mike’s greatest joys in life are his family – his wife Ellen of 34 years and his sons Marc and Matt. Marc earned a PhD in Physics from NC State and works as a genetics researcher, having recently married Swetha, and Matt received his Master of Public Administration from UNC – Chapel Hill in May of this year. At 104, Mike’s mother Ruby continues to be his life-long mentor with her full life of demonstrated compassion, love, and service to others guided by a family value to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly”.