ROCKINGHAM — Pending approval from his colleagues in the General Assembly, Rep. Ken Goodman will be soon stepping down and into another role.
Goodman, D-Richmond, who was just re-elected to his fifth term, was appointed Wednesday to a six-year term on the N.C. Industrial Commission by Gov. Roy Cooper.
“It’s not something I was seeking,” he said Friday afternoon.
Instead, Goodman said he was approached by several people and asked if he would be interested in serving on the commission. When he answered in the affirmative, they submitted his name to the governor.
“This is another opportunity to serve the state in a different way,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Starting May 1, he will be part of a six-member board — made up of three individuals from the employee side and three from the employer side, with Goodman being from the latter — that hears workers’ compensation claims in the state.
Goodman said serving in the General Assembly has been a privilege and, as a moderate Democrat, considers working “in a bipartisan way to build bridges” between both parties and the creation of the pro-business Main Street Democrats Caucus to be his greatest achievements while in office.
“We got a lot of things done by getting people to work together,” he said.
He added that he always thought about how legislation would affect his district before giving his vote.
Goodman was first elected to the seat in 2010. Before him, the seat was held for a combined seven terms by current state Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Goodwin (four) and his wife, Melanie (three).
Ironically, Melanie Goodwin started work Friday as the commission’s chief deputy commissioner.
In terms of finding a replacement, Goodman said that the Democratic Party executive committees in Richmond, Montgomery and Stanly counties, the three counties that comprise House District 66, will make a recommendation to the governor, who will make the appointment to fill the rest of the term.
In the meantime, Goodman said he still has a few things he wants to finish up on Jones Street, including an eminent domain bill currently making its way through the legislature.
His resignation still has to approved by the General Assembly, but Goodman said he sees no problems with that happening.
His wife, Cindy Goodman, resigned late last year as superintendent for Richmond County Schools.
