A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of earline w. parmon, former member of the general assembly.

Whereas, Earline W. Parmon was born on November 18, 1943, in Buffalo, New York, to James and Margaret White Cathcart; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon graduated from Anderson High School in Winston‑Salem in 1961 and earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Winston‑Salem State University in 1977; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon served her country as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, 508 Support Battalion, from 1977 through 1981; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon worked as an education consultant; in 1982, she founded LIFT (Learning Is Fun Too) Learning Center and Academy to help at‑risk students succeed and served as the Academy's Executive Director until 2001; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon was active in the civic affairs of her community, serving as the first African‑American Chair of the Forsyth County Democratic Party and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Forsyth County Library and the Board of Trustees of Forsyth Memorial Hospital; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon served as a member of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners from 1990 to 2002 and as a member of the Board of Directors of both the National Association of Black County Officials and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon served with honor and distinction as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, serving five terms in the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2012 and one term as a member of the Senate between 2013 and 2014; and
Whereas, during her tenure in the General Assembly, Earline W. Parmon worked tirelessly for her constituents and the people of this State on many matters, including racial justice, equality, education, and justice for eugenics survivors; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon sponsored numerous bills that were enacted, including bills to strengthen domestic violence protections, voter registration, voting at one‑stop sites, and many others. In 2007, she was the primary sponsor of legislation that established the Silver Alert System, where a public alert could be issued when a person with dementia, and especially a senior citizen, is reported missing. In 2008, 128 Silver Alerts were issued in North Carolina; of that number, 118 citizens were safely recovered; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon's devotion to educational issues was embodied in her work and leadership as chair and cochair of a number of Education Committees and study commissions. Most notably as cochair of the Legislative Commission on Dropout Prevention and High School Graduation, thousands of students across the State of North Carolina benefitted through funding awarded from 2007 through 2009 totaling in excess of $48 million. The 2010 evaluation report to the General Assembly describes the exemplary programs that emerged through this bipartisan effort and the significant number of youths that were served throughout the State of North Carolina; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon also made significant contributions as a member of other legislative committees, including Appropriations, Ethics, Government, and Redistricting; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon served on the National Conference of State Legislators' Education Committee and Task Force on Dropout Prevention, served as Chaplain for the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women, and held several leadership roles for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators; and
Whereas, because of Earline W. Parmon's vision and commitment to excellence in education, the Earline Parmon Scholarship Fund was officially established in 2008. It was her purposeful intent to effect change by helping to create an environment where all students would have access to the necessary resources to further their education. She believed that no student should ever have to worry about how they will pay for books or housing; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon received an honorary doctorate degree from Winston‑Salem State University in 2010, as well as recognition from many other organizations, including the Outstanding Commissioner of the Year from the North Carolina Association of Black Commissioners in 2001; Shirley Chisholm Legacy Award from Union Chapel Baptist Church, Winston‑Salem, in 2004; Outstanding Public Policy Award from the Winston‑Salem Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., in 2006; North Carolina Political Trailblazer Award from the North Carolina NAACP in 2009; Trailblazer Award from the Forsyth County Democratic Women in 2012; and the Bertha "B" Holt Legislative Courage and Leadership Award from Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina in 2014; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon was a member of Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and a devoted member of Exodus Baptist Church, of which she was a founder and served as an Associate Minister; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon was married to the late Albert Parmon for 47 years; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon died on March 15, 2016, at the age of 72; and
Whereas, Earline W. Parmon is survived by her children, Elaine King, Grady Parmon, Tracy Ingram, Angela Milton, and Morticia Killian; nine grandchildren; and 14 great‑grandchildren; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Earline W. Parmon and expresses its appreciation for the service she rendered her community, State, and nation.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly extends its deepest sympathy to the family of Earline W. Parmon for the loss of a devoted family member.
SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Earline W. Parmon.
SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 25th day of May, 2016.

	s/	 Tom Apodaca
	 Presiding Officer of the Senate

	s/	 Tim Moore
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives