On April 1 , 2003 , she was sworn in as Mayor of Tampa , becoming the second woman to hold the office . Her first term dealt largely with re-energizing the downtown area , as well as the economic revitalization of Tampa ’s most neglected neighborhoods . Iorio was also a big supporter of the arts , working to make Tampa a major arts center in the South . Iorio has also been credited with a sharp drop in drug trafficking in the city limits and a significant drop in major crimes . In her second term , Iorio advocated for improved mass transit , favoring a multi-modal plan which included a light rail system . While mayor , Tampa hosted a Super Bowl and successfully attracted the 2012 Republican National Convention
2012 Republican National Convention
2012 Republican National Convention
Pam Iorio