Martha Swain Wood, Winston-Salem’s first and, to date, only female mayor, was bitten by the political bug early. Her parents’ furniture store often served as a county polling place.
She’s get up early with her dad to unlock the store for poll workers and “stay until the last vote was counted and the voting box readied for delivery to the courthouse, often midnight or later.”
The chief voting judge took her under his wing and instilled in an appreciation for American democracy.
“I got the ‘fever,’ which has never left me, and I have tried to pass it on too my children and grandchildren,” Wood says.
Gayle Anderson, a former CEO of the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, calls Wood “a trailblazer” and “an advocate for diversity and inclusion at all levels of government, business and community service.”
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Franklin Shirley — her debate coach at Wake Forest University and a Winston-Salem alderman and mayor — along with family, friends and neighbors inspired her to enter city politics in 1981, Wood says.
She served the city Board of Aldermen, Northwest Ward, from 1981 to 1989, when she made history as the city’s first female mayor.
“Getting to the office took a bruising primary, second primary and general election,” she says. “My dedicated, determined supporters made sure that our election would replace patriarchy in Winston-Salem with a place at the table for everyone,” Wood says.
Wood was ready to go to work. “My paternal grandmother and my parents taught me self-confidence, commitment and tenacity. Dr. Franklin Shirley taught me the necessity of thorough research, clear reasoning, and articulate, persuasive speech,” she says.
Her proudest accomplishment as an alderman was casting the deciding vote to name the new coliseum for Lawrence Joel, Winston-Salem Vietnam War hero and winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor. She was also honored in 1986 as the Winston-Salem Chronicle Woman of the Year.
As mayor, a highlight was recruiting the CIAA Basketball Tournament to Winston-Salem.
Wood is been a strong advocate for neighborhoods and for balancing economic development priorities with the needs of ordinary citizens, Anderson says. “In her retirement years, she has continued to volunteer and to speak out for having everyone at the table when decisions are made,” she says.
Though she retired in 2008, she and fellow Salemtowne Retirement Community residents and a UNCSA student, created and produced the documentary, ‘In Elder words…” The videos highlight the histories, interests and future plans of residents and longtime staff members of Salemtowne, illustrating the “vitality of elders and elder living,” Wood says.
Wood remains a busy volunteer in the community. She and her husband, Frank, sing with the Salemtowne Singers and perform for other continuing care communities, and she manages the Vogler Shop, staffing 40 shifts a month with volunteers. “
“Community service for me is not ‘giving back;’ it’s my duty and responsibility,” she says. “Building community is in my blood.”
Wood’s many awards include the Wake Forest Faces of Courage award in 2012 for her work on integration.
She received the Martin Luther King Jr. Dare to Make a Difference award in 2018, on what would have been King's 80th birthday.
"On that occasion, I realized that I had, in fact, dared to make a difference. I was humbled by the recognition and grateful for the opportunities I've had to dare," she recalls.
