Join the Durham Arts Council, Durham Legislative Delegation, Durham Democrats, and other sponsors to honor the service of former State Senator and City Councilmember Mike Woodard. The program & reception will be followed by an Arts Procession to City Hall for a recognition by City Council and the Mayor at 7 p.m. Downtown is very accessible by transit or car.

James Michael Woodard has been a dedicated public servant to the city of Durham for over two decades. He served in the North Carolina Senate from the 22nd district for twelve years, from 2013 to 2025, and represented most of Durham County.

Senator Mike Woodard attended Duke University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981. He returned to his alma mater in 1996 to serve as an administrator at Duke University and the Duke University Health System. Before being elected to the state Senate, Woodard served on the Durham City Council from 2005 to 2012. He was heavily involved in committees across the city to address cultural, structural, and financial needs: such as the Citizen Capital Improvement Panel, a group that examines the capital needs of the city and makes recommendations about project funding, and the Durham Arts Council, where he served as a trustee as well as its president.

As a State Senator, Woodard championed bills related to the environment, economic development, and housing. The environment remained a top priority for Woodard, as he sponsored bills relating to PFAS cleanup, wildlife protections, and renewable energy. In 2014, he negotiated with both sides of the aisle and Duke Energy to handle the cleanup of Duke Energy's Dan River facility coal ash spill. In 2018, Woodard helped codify the bipartisan North Carolina Clean Energy Plan to get North Carolina to carbon neutral by 2050.

As a champion for the arts across North Carolina, Senator Woodard began serving as the Chair of the Arts Caucus in the North Carolina Legislature in 2019. He filed a bill for the Arts High School graduation requirement, and he worked to ensure that every county would receive Arts Relief from the Cares Act. This $9.4 million was critical to stabilizing North Carolina's arts sector during the pandemic. Today he continue to serve on the Boards of South Arts and Durham Arts Council.