H.J.R. 971
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Jun 24, 2021
SESSION 2021 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION DRHJR40642-LG-168
Sponsors: Representative Carney.
Referred to:
1 A JOINT RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF MELANIE WADE
2 GOODWIN, FORMER MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
3 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin was born on July 22, 1970, in Richmond, Virginia,
4 to Albert Wade and Nancy Breinig Wade; and
5 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin spent much of her life in North Carolina,
6 graduating from Sanderson High School in Raleigh in 1988 and earning a B.A. in English from
7 the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992 and a Juris Doctorate from Campbell
8 University in 2000; and
9 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin began her professional career with the State of
10 North Carolina, serving as the Special Projects Director for the North Carolina Council for
11 Women from 1992 through 1997, where she had many responsibilities, including creating,
12 editing, and overseeing the production of all publications, including brochures and booklets
13 relating to women's advocacy; serving as the legislative liaison for the agency; monitoring State
14 and federal legislation affecting families; and serving as a member of the North Carolina
15 delegation to the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995; and
16 Whereas, in 2000, Melanie Wade Goodwin opened a solo law practice in Hamlet,
17 North Carolina, and later an additional office in Rockingham, where she focused mainly on
18 family law until closing her practice in July 2007 to focus more fully on her legislative work and
19 constituent service; and
20 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin was elected to the House of Representatives in
21 2004, succeeding her husband, former Representative Wayne Goodwin, to represent the citizens
22 of Richmond and Montgomery Counties. She was the first woman to represent Richmond County
23 in the General Assembly and the first sitting member to give birth while serving in office; and
24 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin served for three terms in the General Assembly
25 from 2005 to 2010 and, during that time, held several leadership positions, including chair of the
26 House Election Laws and Campaign Finance Reform Committee, House chair of the Joint
27 Legislative Administrative Procedures Oversight Committee and Joint Legislative Elections
28 Oversight Committee, and vice-chair of the Judiciary I Committee, and was a member of several
29 other committees, including Appropriations, Appropriations Subcommittee on Justice and Public
30 Safety, Education, Education Subcommittee on Community Colleges, Natural and
31 Environmental Resources, Juvenile Justice, and Transportation; and
32 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin sponsored legislation that strengthened
33 investments in public education and rural economic development, helped improve public health
34 and the courts system, and supported women's rights and women's health; and
35 Whereas, in 2011, after leaving elected office, Melanie Wade Goodwin was appointed
36 Deputy Commissioner of the North Carolina Industrial Commission and, in 2019, named Chief
37 Deputy Commissioner; and
*DRHJR40642-LG-168*
 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021
1 Whereas, in 2020, Melanie Wade Goodwin was nominated and accepted into the
2 Women's Forum of North Carolina, which is "an invitational, nonpartisan organization of diverse
3 women leaders dedicated to work to achieve and maintain equality and social, economic, and
4 political power for all North Carolina women"; and
5 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin was active in various civic and community
6 activities, serving as President of the Rockingham Junior Women's Club (now Richmond Service
7 League); President of the Richmond County Democratic Women; as a member of the Juvenile
8 Crime Prevention Council, Richmond County Arts Council, Friends of the Library, Womenfolk
9 Unlimited (now New Horizons), Woman's Club of Raleigh, and Pines of the Carolina Girl Scouts
10 Council; as a founding board member of the Christian Closet; and as an appointee to the Sandhills
11 Mental Health Area Board; and
12 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin also served on the North Carolina Courts
13 Commission and the North Carolina Locksmith Licensing Board; and
14 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin was an active member of the First United
15 Methodist Church in Rockingham and the Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh;
16 and
17 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin received numerous awards and honors, including
18 the "Woman of Tomorrow" Award from Pines of Carolina Girl Scouts Council (1997), Juanita
19 M. Bryant Citizenship Award from General Federation of Women's Clubs of North Carolina
20 (2003), Star Award from Democratic Women of North Carolina (2003), Woman of Achievement
21 Award from General Federation of Women's Clubs of North Carolina (2006), and Richmond
22 County Citizen of the Year (2009); and
23 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin genuinely cared for everyone she met and was
24 admired and respected by all who knew her or had the privilege to work with her; and
25 Whereas, Melanie Wade Goodwin passed away on September 1, 2020, after a valiant
26 decade-long battle with cancer, leaving to cherish her memory, her husband of 22 years, Wayne
27 Goodwin; daughter, Madison Wade Goodwin; son, Jackson Wade Goodwin; and her parents;
28 Now, therefore,
29 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
30 SECTION 1. The General Assembly honors the life and memory of Melanie Wade
31 Goodwin and expresses its deep gratitude and appreciation for her life and distinguished public
32 service.
33 SECTION 2. The General Assembly extends its sympathy to the family and friends
34 of Melanie Wade Goodwin.
35 SECTION 3. The Secretary of State shall transmit a copy of this resolution to the
36 family of Melanie Wade Goodwin.
37 SECTION 4. This resolution is effective upon ratification.
Page 2 DRHJR40642-LG-168