Goodman, Carolyn, 1939-

Carolyn Goldmark Goodman was born March 25, 1939. Carolyn is a native of New York City and a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, where she met Oscar. Goodman and her husband, Oscar Goodman arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1964. She started out working in the hotel industry, and later earned her master's degree in counseling from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) while raising four children. Goodman founded The Meadows School in Las Vegas in 1984, the state's first nonprofit, college preparatory school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. She oversaw planning and daily operations of the school for 26 years, retiring in 2010.

Goodman became mayor of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada on July 6, 2011 and was re-elected for a second term in April 2015. She succeeded her husband of 50 years, Oscar B. Goodman, who served three terms as mayor. As mayor, Goodman has focused on improving public education and the local economy. She was a board member of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and serves on the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA). She was also involved in the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), as a member of its Advisory Board, vice-chair of its Task Force on Education Reform, and chair of the Mayors’ Business Council. In 2014 Goodman received the UCSM’s Large City Climate Protection Award.

As leader of the Meadows School, Goodman was recognized nationally by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the National Association of Independent Schools in 2006 with the Seymour Preston Trustee Award for Leadership. She has also been honored by UNLV, receiving the Distinguished Nevadan award in 1989, an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree (PhD) in 2006, and Alumni of the Year in Education in 2010.