Margo Goodwin

Former Highland Park Mayor

Being the first woman to serve as mayor of Highland Park may have been a breakthrough for the town, but it came naturally to Margo Goodwin.

“I was the first, but hopefully not the last,” she said.

Goodwin served on the Highland Park town council for four years prior to being elected mayor in 2018. Her term ended in May 2022. 

“It’s a real privilege and an honor in a community like this,” she said. “Unlike other municipalities, no one is after my job. The people are very understanding, but they expect a lot, and I think the town delivers.”

Goodwin’s husband was a town councilmember in the ‘90s, so she knew what the gig would hold before signing up. “Dallas and Highland Park have been very good to us; it’s a chance to give back. It’s a cliché now, but it’s the truth.”

Goodwin describes herself as a “full-time volunteer.” She’s been involved in the Baylor Medical Center Foundation Board, the hospital system’s fundraising arm. Her passion for volunteering started in PTA and Sunday school jobs, but she is now involved in the Junior League of Dallas, Crystal Charity Ball, and other organizations.

“People keep asking me what I’m doing with all my free time,” she said. “I have had more time to visit with friends, which I’ve enjoyed. Time was strapped when I was mayor.” 

However, Goodwin isn’t one for idleness. One of her recent endeavors was chairing the Junior League of Dallas’ Centennial.

One of the first initiatives she launched with the Junior League was an endowment to secure part of the league’s budget to cover volunteer and leadership training. Lyda Hill donated $5 million outright, and then gave the organization another $5 million as a challenge grant.

“It fell to me and my partner Andrea Cheek to raise that $5 million,” Goodwin said. “COVID hit, and so I just started a letter writing campaign to members only. We’re right at $600,000 from the finish line, and I’m still working on that. I want to get to that finish line.”

Goodwin looks at volunteering as an opportunity for people to put themselves out there, but some think, “Oh, I can’t do that,” she said.

“If you’re a volunteer, they can’t cut your pay, they rarely fire you, and agencies are so thankful to have volunteers,” Goodwin said. “Nobody wants you to fail. … Taking responsibility is the first step. Then the rest seems easy. You just figure out how to do it.”