The North Carolina Bar Association has honored former North Carolina Congressman Mike McIntyre ’78 for a lifetime of public service. McIntyre, who is a partner at Raleigh-based firm Poyner Spruill, received The Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake Jr. Public Service Award on June 21.

In presenting the award, Kearns Davis, former president of the Bar Association, noted that McIntyre “has relentlessly advocated for a better understanding of our legal system and has made significant contributions to and on behalf of the legal profession locally, statewide, and nationally, and on behalf of North Carolina schools and communities.”

McIntyre served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 18 years, winning top National Legislative Awards on a number of issues.

Over the last decade, McIntyre organized an annual Youth Leadership Summit to inspire outstanding North Carolina high school students to community service. His extensive public service projects through the years have often focused on youth and education, in addition to service in his church.

“That’s always been a priority of mine, preparing the next generation for leadership,” he says. “Enabling youth to tackle issues in their own communities and make real change.”

In particular, McIntyre has devoted significant time to revitalization of his hometown Lumberton, N.C., and its surrounding areas.

“My motivation with public service has always been to make a difference where it counts, right at home,” he says. “That’s why I ran for Congress.”

He currently serves as a mentor at the UNC-Chapel Hill Law School. As senior advisor and director of government relations, McIntyre’s practice at Poyner Spruill includes government work on all levels—as well as business, real estate, agribusiness, environmental, military, sports, and entertainment law.

In addition to receiving numerous other service awards from a variety of organizations, McIntyre is also a recipient of the Navy’s highest civilian award, the Outstanding Public Service Award.