The 14th Annual Our Heroes Luncheon, sponsored by Sykes Enterprises, Inc. and other leading Tampa Bay area companies, was held at the Tampa Convention Center. The annual event honors the public safety professionals that serve Tampa, Hillsborough County, Temple Terrace, Tampa Airport, USF, Florida Highway Patrol and Plant City.

The 2008 Consular Corps College annual conference provided consuls from around the world an opportunity to discuss important issues and learn from leading authorities on consul law.  The Consular Corp College is a non-profit, non-political professional society of consul officers representing foreign governments in the United States.

The Mayor's Hispanic Advisory Council held their 11th Annual Latinos Unidos luncheon. The event celebrates the cultural and financial influence Latinos have in our community. The featured keynote speaker was Dr. Antonia Novello, first woman and first Hispanic surgeon general of the Unites States. Proceeds from the event benefitted the University of Tampa's newly endowed scholarship and celebrated scholarship recipients at the University of South Florida and Hillsborough Community College.

The First Ladies’ Prayer Brunch of Tampa held their 16^th Annual Patriotic Brunch.  The brunch is held to coincide with the National Day of Prayer.  Started in 1990, the Tampa Prayer Brunch welcomes over 1,000 guests each year.

The opening of the Platt Street Bridge segment of the Tampa Riverwalk was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony. This section links USF Park and the Tampa Convention Center and was made possible through a partnership between the City of Tampa and the Florida Department of Transportation.  Attendees were treated to music and entertainment and also had the opportunity to participate in the inaugural "RiverWALK," a stroll along the Tampa Riverwalk which began at USF Park and continued to Cotanchobee Ft. Brooke Park.

The 2008 Mayor's Youth Corps held their second open forum with Mayor Iorio.  Discussion topics posed by the class ranged from education to the Paint Your Heart Out Tampa program.  Students selected for the Mayor's Youth Corps take part in activities focusing on community service, leadership and team building, as well as learning about city government.

Tampa Fire Rescue held a graduation ceremony at the Ragan Community Center for its ten newest members.  The graduates just finished four weeks of training and orientation and will now be placed in stations throughout the city.

Voices for Children and Guardian ad Litem, hosted the Fourth Annual Charlotte P. Reed Q for Kids fundraiser to help recruit additional Guardian volunteers so that one day 100 percent of the children will have someone to be their advocate.  There are over 5,200 children in Hillsborough County that have been removed from abusive or neglectful environments and require volunteer advocacy services to help ensure they receive safe and permanent homes.  A proclamation was also presented to help raise awareness and support of the programs. Four years ago, the program only had enough guardian volunteers to represent 30 percent of these children - today that has increased to 80 percent.

Ten new police officers were sworn in during a ceremony held at the Ragan Community Center.  Mayor Iorio and Chief Hogue welcomed the officers to the Tampa Police Department and presented them with their badges.

The Honorable Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of the Republic of Estonia, paid a courtesy visit to City Hall while in town visiting MacDill Air Force Base and the University of South Florida.  A native of Stockholm, President Ilves is familiar with our country, having received a BA in Psychology from Columbia University in 1976 and an MA in Psychology from Pennsylvania University in 1978.

Author Gus Rodriguez presented the Mayor with a copy of his book, Icon of Love.  The book details the early history of the culture and diverse people of Ybor City as they deal with the struggles to establish a Catholic parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Hope, in their community. 

Acclaimed artist, Ferdie Pacheco, presented the mayor with a portrait he painted of her.  Pacheco, a Tampa native, is known for his use of intricate color and design and uses life experiences as the basis for his art.  A noted doctor, pharmacist, novelist and screenwriter, Pacheco also served as a corner man for twelve world boxing champions, including Mohammad Ali.

Mayor Iorio thanked the many Paint Your Heart Out, Tampa! volunteers during the celebration at the Raymond James Stadium grounds.  After a hard day of work, the volunteers were treated to barbeque, music by Mad Max Entertainment and a lot of fun.

Over 2,500 volunteers, participated in the 20th Annual Paint Your Heart Out, Tampa! event including city employees and members of the Mayor's Youth Corps.  The program assists elderly and low-income residents whose homes are in need of paint and repair.  Since 1988, more than 2,000 homes have been beautified by 50,000 people volunteering and contributing nearly 290,000 hours of volunteer service.

Mayor Iorio threw out the first pitch at the high school softball district finals pitting the Plant Panthers against the Chamberlain Chiefs.  The final score of this match up was Chamberlain 6, Plant 2.

The Second Annual Beth Waters Friendship Fund Luncheon was held in honor of the late Beth Waters.   Proceeds from the luncheon benefit several non-profits that Beth supported including The Spring, the Athena Society and Faces of Courage.

Mayor Iorio joined board members and volunteers for the groundbreaking of the new Tampa Museum of Art (TMA).  Scheduled to open in the fall of 2009, the 66,000 square-foot museum will be a vibrant cultural arts destination along the Riverwalk in Curtis Hixon Park.  The Riverwalk will provide connectivity between the new TMA, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the future Glazer Children's Museum, the Tampa Bay History Center and the soon to be expanded Curtis Hixon Park. 

Local building codes and the City of Tampa Construction Services Division's efforts to enforce the codes were reviewed by the Insurance Services Office in November 2007.  The review resulted in a higher ranking for the City in their Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule as it relates to residential, commercial and industrial properties.  The new ranking will provide increased benefits to citizens including the maximum property insurance discount possible in Florida.

Lifework Leadership Tampa Bay, a Christian leadership development program, held its April session in south Tampa. The non-profit organization seeks to provide leadership development and inspire the next generation of leaders to use what they learn to positively impact their community.

The USF Alumni Association LGBT Society held their Fourth Annual Gala Reception and Awards ceremony that included remarks by Mayor Pam Iorio on diversity in business and the community.  The event also recognizes alumni and community leaders who have contributed to these successes.

The Fifth Annual Global Classroom:Tampa Bay Model United Nations Conference took place at the Tampa Convention Center with over 800 middle and high school students participating.  Sponsored by the United Nations Association of the USA, this program provides opportunities for students to learn about global issues and discover how to find solutions.  For over 50 years, Model UN has provided schools with resources to help students learn more about their world.

Mayor Iorio expressed her appreciation to Melvin Wilson for his 37 years of service with the City of Tampa.  Wilson, a Water Distribution Equipment Mechanic, retired from the Tampa Water Department late last year.

Lieutenant Arthur Cole recently announced his retirement from the Tampa Police Department after 30 years of service.  Beginning his career as a police officer in 1978, Cole made the protection of our citizens a life-time commitment and will be missed by all who have come to depend on his dedicated service.

Mayor Iorio spoke to the members of the Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi at the University of South Florida regarding Tampa's future business environment.  Founded in 1904 at New York University, AKPsi now has more than 230 college and alumni chapters whose members are focused on developing skilled and experienced business leaders.

The Florida-Korea Economic Corporation Committee sponsored the 2008 Korea Joint Conference and hosted a delegation of 50 Korean business, economic development, government, education and tourism leaders.  Led by the Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, in cooperation with the Korea-U.S. Economic Development Council, this conference offers delegates an opportunity to meet with government and business leaders in an effort to promote trade, investment and friendship.

Mayor Pam Iorio presented 9-1-1 Communications Technicians with a proclamation recognizing the week of April 13-19 as National Telecommunicator Week.  In 2007, more than 1.1 million emergency and non-emergency calls were handled by these professionals including calls for fires, heart attacks, accidents, crimes and missing children.

The April Mayor's Hour takes you behind-the-scenes at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.  Join Mayor Pam Iorio and 970 Radio Personality Jack Harris as they give you a sneak peek at future zoo expansion plans and meet some of the zoo's residents including an African Crane and a three-banded armadillo.  Watch the Mayor's Hour on CTTV Sundays at 1 p.m., Mondays at 7 p.m., Tuesdays at noon, Wednesdays at 9 p.m., Fridays at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at noon.

The Helen Ayala Davis Award was presented to Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy at The Children's Home Annual Recognition Luncheon.  The award, named after the late Helen Ayala Davis, a philanthropist and board member, is presented to an individual for their profound commitment to children and families.  The Children's Home is the oldest charity on Florida's west coast and operates numerous child-focused and family-centered programs throughout our area.

The 2008 Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft was held at Innisbrook Resort.  Mayor Iorio presented commemorative plates to WNBA President Donna Orender and Sheila Johnson, CEO of Salamander Hospitality and the owner of the Washington Mystics.  In 1996 the NBA Board of Governors approved the Women's National Basketball Association concept and their inaugural season began on June 21, 1997.  The draft was held the day after Tampa successfully hosted the Women's Final Four Basketball Championship.

Several members of Tampa Fire Rescue recently announced their retirements after nearly three decades of service to Tampa's residents.  Presented with letters of appreciation for their service to the City were Captain Carl S. Finney (30 years), Captain George C. Lee (27 years), and Assistant Chief James P. Phillips (28 years).