Raising The Bar

Education

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.A. in Economics, 1978) Campbell University Law School (J.D. 1981).

Bars and Courts

Admitted to bar, 1981, North Carolina and U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina; 1984, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, and U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina; 1985, U.S. Supreme Court.

Affiliations

28th Judicial District , North Carolina and American Bar Associations; President’s Club- North Carolina Advocates for Justice; Sustaining Patron- Advocates for Justice; National Association of Social Security Disability Claimant's Representatives

Family

Married 34 years to Charise Gantt, pharmacist at Blue Ridge Community Health Center in Hendersonville, NC

2 children

Brett Gantt- Married, PhD, employee at NC State University

Carrie Gantt- Admitted to New York and Massachusetts Bars- Lawyer in New York City Mayor Bloomberg office

Political

Elected to Buncombe County Commission 1996 to 2008

Elected to Chair of the Buncombe County Commission 2008- present

Elected as Chair of Land of Sky Regional Council 2001 to 2004

Elected as Chair of Mountain Resources Commission 2010- present

Current Community Board memberships

Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee

Life Member NAACP

Mountain Resources Commission 2010- Governor Appointment

Chairman of 2012 March of Dimes Babies Walk

Past Community Board memberships

United Way

Eblen Charities Foundation

Asheville Airport Authority

Metropolitan Sewerage District Board

NC Employment Security Commission 2008- 2012 Governor Appointment

Asheville Buncombe Community Relations Council

NC Advocates for Justice Board of Governors

Chair- Disability Advocate Section of NC Advocates for Justice 2008

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Parents Council

Pack Square Park Conservancy Board

President, Glen Arden PTA

Dean, People’s Law School- NC Academy of Trial Lawyers

Publications, Honors, and Awards

Board Certified in Worker’ Compensation Law by Board of Legal Specialization

"Woodson Workers' Compensation Case", North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers Magazine, January, 1996.

Editor of Buncombe County Lawyer Newsletter 1993- 1998

Charles Campbell Regional Leadership Award 2004

Circle of Excellence Award for Community Leadership 2005

NC State Bar Association Centennial Award for Community Service 2005

RiverWise Award for French Broad River preservation 2006

NC State Bar Association Citizen Lawyer Award 2007

Friends of the River Award 2007

Super Lawyer 2009, 2010

Top 100 Lawyers in NC- American Trial Lawyers Association 2009, 2010

WENOA Sierra Club Leadership Award 2010

Environmental Excellence Award- Asheville Greenworks 2011

Stepp Labor Leader Award- WNC Central Labor Council 2012

Top 100 Litigation Lawyers in NC- American Society of Legal Advocates 2013

Speaker at Continuing Legal Education seminars

“Why practice SS law?”- NC Advocates for Justice- October 2010- “WC Ethics” NC Industrial Commission- October 2010- “SS law for Paralegals”- NC Paralegal Association- September 2010- “Basics in Social Security Law”- NC Advocates for Justice- June 2009- “Basic Social Security Benefits”- NC Academy of Trial Lawyers- September , 2006; “Where do I find Social Security Rules and Regulations?”- NC Academy of Trial Lawyers- March, 2006-  ”Social Security Regulations”- NC Academy of Trial Lawyers- December, 2003-  “Damages in Worker’s Compensation Cases”- NC Academy of Trial Lawyers- October, 2003; “Ethics in Worker’s Compensation Cases”- NC Bar Association- February, 2003; “Intro to Social Security law”- NC Academy of Trial Lawyers- December, 2002; “All Star Trial of Sex Harassment Case”- NC Bar Association- February, 2001; “Interpreting Social Security Language for Beginners”- NC Academy of Trial Lawyers- December, 1999; “Social Security Jargon for Beginners" NC Academy of Trial Lawyers- December, 1998; “Social Security Language Made Easy”- NC Academy of Trial Lawyers- November, 1996; Ethics in Worker's Compensation Cases" Wake Forest University-January, 1996; "Social Security Administrative Mistakes and Remedies"- NC Academy of Trial Lawyers- October, 1995. "Ethics from the Plaintiff's Worker's Compensation Perspective" Wake Forest University CLE- August, 1994; "Advanced Worker's Compensation and Ethics" NC Academy of Trial Lawyers-October, 1993; "Farmer's Right of First Refusal”-North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers-September, 1991; "Trying the Automobile Injury Case in North Carolina" National Business Institute- August, 1991.

Speaker at major government events

“Benefits of Open Spaces”- National Association of Counties- Pittsburgh, PA- July 15, 2012; “A new sustainability index for WNC”- Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere conference- Asheville, NC- November 17, 2011; “Economics of the Blue Ridge Parkway”- Virginia Tech Symposium- Roanoke, VA in October 2010; Keynote on “Motivation and Inspiration”- NC Employment Security Commission employees- Charlotte, NC- October 2009 and October 2006

Environmental

Supported national model at Landfill that speed decomposition of trash in hopes of creating a perpetual landfill, eliminating need for more landfills in future

Supported landfill generator that converts gas from waste and turns into 1.4 KW of electricity- Sell electricity to local utility company

Initiated conservation easement program that has preserved over 5,000 acres of

Buncombe County farmland, ridge tops, and open spaces

Initiated ordinance to ban new billboards in Buncombe County

Initiated measure to protect 80 acres of land adjoining the Blue Ridge Parkway

Initiated resolution that stopped paved road through National Forest

Initiated Dark Skies ordinance that saves energy and limits light trespass and     light pollution in Buncombe County

Initiated steep slope and ridge top ordinance to protect mountain slopes from     over development

Supported 1^st countywide zoning plan to protect mountains and communities

Supported storm water ordinance that reduces flooding and landslide potential

Supported creation and funding of 30 acre urban park in downtown Asheville

Supported measures to limit condominiums on ridge tops and steep slopes

Supported County law limiting new cell tower construction on mountain tops

Supported zoning overlay designed to protect views on Blue Ridge Parkway

Supported ordinance to clean up junk yards, junk cars in Buncombe County

Supported resolution to create Craggy Garden wilderness area near Blue Ridge      Parkway

Support recycling center for compost, construction waste

Support measures to clean up trash and garbage in Buncombe County

Prepared documents that help stop destruction of Stand Hill Mt. local park

Support building new Courthouse, first LEED certified building in downtown Asheville

Support business

Owner of successful small law office, starting from scratch

Supported economic incentives for new and expanding local businesses

Supported fiscally responsible budgets in County

Supported created of Job Incubator project in partnership with AB Tech

Supported full funding of school needs in city, county, and community college

Supported successful election for $130 million AB Tech construction funding