Representative Melanie Wade Goodwin was honored with the Citizen of the Year award at the 27th annual recognition night Thursday at Cole Auditorium.

“Her accolades are numerous and profound,” said Laura Stevenson-Daskal, a friend of Goodwin and one who presented the award. “It just shows her unpretentious nature.”

A close friend of Goodwin, Marchell Adams-David, is the incoming 2010 chamber chairman. She spoke briefly about the youngest recipient of the Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year award before handing the presentation over to Daskal.

Goodwin, 39, has lived in Richmond County since 1998 when she moved to the area from Raleigh with her husband, Wayne Goodwin.

Since then she has immersed herself in a number of civil clubs and taken on the responsibilities of organizations throughout the area. She’s also serving her third term in the N.C. House of Representatives, is raising two children and practices law.

She “sacrificed her law practice,” according to Daskal, to pursue taking on the House of Representatives full-time.

“I never thought my adopted hometown would bestow such an honor on me,” Goodwin said during her momentarily tearful acceptance speech.

Goodwin spoke highly of the town she’s taken in as her home and the people with which she spends her time.

“I wanted to assimilate and become a part of the town,” Goodwin said. “And I learned about Richmond County’s spirit and character.”

Growing up in Raleigh, Goodwin was not accustomed to the small town life, which both Daskal and Goodwin joked about during their speeches.

“But, I saw the tremendous potential in the community,” Goodwin said.

“We’re just very proud of her,” Al Wade, Goodwin’s father, said.

Wade recalled Goodwin as a child taking ballet classes and taking part in choirs all the way through college and just how well she did, “even as a child.”

Scott Leonard, 2009 chairman for the Chamber of Commerce, spoke prior to the banquet about the chamber’s 2009 fiscal year and how the chamber has grown in size and numbers in 2009.

“It was a difficult financial year for our nation,” Leonard said. “Yet, we signed up 75 new members in 2009. It just goes to show that when you finish, you’re going to make sure your money is worth something.”

David, Hamlet city manager, is taking the reigns in 2010 as acting chamber chairman. Outgoing chairman Scott Leonard of Progress Energy will remain on the board.

“Our M.O. is simple, ‘Your business is our business’,” David said of the chamber’s theme for 2010.

Susan Brigman of the Richmond County Transitional School was also recognized as the chamber’s Principal of the Year and Kristi Wagers was recognized as Teacher of the Year.

Anna Liles took the honor of Ambassador of the Year.

Staff writer Bryan Stewart can be reached at 997-3111 ext. 15 or by e-mail at bstewart@yourdailyjournal.com.