Mike grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina and learned to love the Carolina beaches from an early age. He first visited Hilton Head with his family in 1967. Business opportunities have taken Mike and his family to Atlanta and Nashville but Hilton Head has always been the go to place for rest and rejuvenation.

A graduate of Washington and Lee University with an MBA from Emory, Mike spent the early part of his extensive business career as a partner in the Management Consulting Division of the Ernst and Young accounting firm. In 1989, the Lawrence family fulfilled a dream and moved to Hilton Head Island. After an early stint with the Sea Pines Real Estate Company, Mike became Chief Financial Officer and then Chief Executive Officer of Sea Pines Associates, a previous owner of the Sea Pines Resort and Sea Pines Real Estate Company. He served on the Sea Pines Community Services Association Board for 14 years and as Chairman of the Board of the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce. This background has provided Mike with knowledge of the Sea Pines covenants, the inner workings of the Sea Pines Governance model and the Town of Hilton Head. As a real estate Broker and a Certified Public Accountant he is well equipped to serve the needs of clients interested in residential real estate, residential investment property, and commercial real estate.