As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we’re highlighting the four women throughout history who have helmed both sides of the Bay.
Besides Mayor Jane, what other women have helmed Tampa + St. Pete’s top positions? Let’s take a look:
Sandra W. Freedman
Tampa’s first female mayor focused on bringing other women and minorities up along with her — promoting many to top City of Tampa management positions.
You’ll find other vestiges of her influence across the Cigar City — besides the Sandra W. Freedman Tennis Complex. During her nine years in the top office, Tampa opened both the City Convention Center and the Florida Aquarium, led the Bayshore Boulevard Restoration Project, and started a city-wide recycling program + water conservation program, according to the city.
One of her personal biggest accomplishments: Starting the Mayor’s (Mayor’s) Challenge Fund — which helped thousands of residents get remodeled or new homes, Freedman told the Tampa Bay Times in 2022.
Corinne Freeman
Elected in 1977, Corrinne Freeman was St. Pete’s first — and so far, only — female mayor.
Freeman started her career working as a registered nurse in the Army Cadet Corp created by Eleanor Roosevelt, according to the League of Women Voters of the St. Pete Area. After Freeman and her family moved to the Sunshine City from the Northeast in the late 1960s, she became the president of LWVSPA in 1972.
The next time you head for a jog or stroll down the Pier after work, think of Freeman. She was a staunch proponent of a Pier park, believing that “the waterfront was an important focal point” for the city, according to the league.
Jane Castor
Now at mid-point of her second term, Mayor Castor is not only the third female mayor in the Cigar City’s history — she was also the city’s first female chief of police.
Castor was born and raised in Tampa, attended the University of Tampa, and served 31 years as a cop before becoming the chief. She kicked off her first term by implementing Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow: an initiative focusing on improving housing affordability, infrastructure and mobility, resident services, sustainability and resilience + workforce development.
So far, Castor has overseen a massive construction influx along the Hillsborough River, increase in affordable housing, and overall growth of the city.
A peek at “Pamelot.”
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Pam Iorio
Similarly to Mayor Castor, Pam Iorio claims another TBAY first: the youngest person elected to the Hillsborough County Commission.
When Iorio assumed her post as the Tampa’s top boss in 2003, she focused on “investing in neighborhoods, economic development of challenged areas, creating a residential community downtown, efficient city government focused on customer service, and establishing Tampa as a city of the arts,” according to the city.
Sometimes called “Pamelot,” her eight-year reign was marked by accomplishments like reducing crime, beefing up the city’s infrastructure, and, of course, launching the capital campaign for the Tampa Riverwalk.
