Chief Goodman was born in San Francisco, California, where he attended school until October of 1967 when he joined the United States Army. After completing basic training at Ft. Lewis Washington, he was sent to the leadership preparation course and armor intelligence training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. From there he volunteered for and completed the Army Airborne, or jump school at Ft. Benning, Georgia, and was then assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division 1/17th Cavalry at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.
In October of 1969 Chief Goodman was reassigned to the 1/17th Cavalry 173rd Airborne Brigade, Republic of Vietnam. In December of 1969, Chief Goodman was again reassigned, this time to A company 1/503rd Infantry 173rd Airborne Brigade, Republic of Vietnam where he stayed until September of 1970 when he was honorably discharged. Chief Goodman’s many military citations include the Combat Infantry Badge, Air Medal and Jump Wings. Upon leaving the Army Chief Goodman attended Foothill College in Los Altos, California.
Before becoming a police officer Chief Goodman, worked as a carpenter for several years, earning his journeyman’s card in 1974. In 1978 Chief Goodman, moved his family from San Jose, to Susanville, California where he was attracted to and became a member of the Susanville police department under the CETA program. In 1980 the Goodman’s again moved, this time to Kemmerer, Wyoming where Chief Goodman worked for the Kemmerer, police department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office before taking the position as Chief of Police for Kake, Alaska in 1988. In 1991 Chief Goodman made the move to the Haines police department where he worked his way up through the ranks as patrol officer, Sgt. and then Chief in 1999.
Chief Goodman is the president of the board for the Lynn Canal Mental Health Corp. a member of the Masons, Elks Club, Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, APOA, the advisory board for AML/JIA Law Enforcement Liability pool and the Civil Air Patrol. Chief Goodman is a certified diver and private pilot who owns a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12D.
Chief Goodman has been married to Carole for 24 years and has three children, Evan 30, John 25 and Alixanne 17. There are two grandchildren Keli 7 and Charles age 4 days.
Law Enforcement has been and will continue to be a challenge for me. As the manager of a small Law Enforcement agency I face challenges in addition to those faced by my subordinates, challenges fraught with political hazards and inlaid with knots of the Gordian type but challenges that, if thought through, can be, when solved, as rewarding an experience as one can imagine. To be in law enforcement and to serve the citizens of my community has been and will continue to be an honor for me, one that only a select and fortunate few will ever experience and, if the planets are in their correct alignment, endure.