Tampa Bay Wellness Talks with

Mayor Pam Iorio

“I’ve really come to this point in my life where I am a big believer in the right nutrition and exercise, and I really like to share that with people. – Mayor Pam Iorio –

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning in Tampa. She’s put in long hours at the office and around the community. She’s tired. She’d love to take a rest. Nonetheless, she hits the shower, dons some comfortable, stylish clothes and heads over to Al Lopez Park. As she arrives, residents from the Tampa Bay Area greet her. Her smile is contagious; how couldn’t it be this early on a Saturday? Genuine enthusiasm lights her face as she meets and greets Tampa Residents. She stops for a photograph.

Then, as the busy crowds tighten up their shoe laces and get ready to walk and rock, Mayor Iorio does the same. Why? It’s a cool Spring morning, and it’s time for a free fitness walk. All residents have been invited to join Mayor Pam Iorio, other elected officials, department heads, and community leaders for a refreshing walk that simultaneously fosters physical fitness and networking. This event is one of the many initiatives that Mayor Iorio has undertaken to help encourage progress in the city’s health and wellness.

At the age of 26, Mayor Iorio became the youngest person ever elected to the Hillsborough County Commission. She is the second female mayor of Tampa. Despite her busy and demanding schedule, she works out with a trainer four times a week. On the weekends, she walks on a treadmill at home or goes bike riding with her husband, Mark Woodard. This hardworking, energetic woman also has the vision and sense of a poet. In her 2007 Oath of Office Ceremony speech, she referred to “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost. “We can see both paths, and they lead us in very different directions. Cities, like people, grow and change over time. And like people, the hard path is not always followed – the right direction not always taken. Hard decisions are put off or never made - the path of least resistance is the common road.”

Mayor Iorio envisions a more healthy and fit Tampa. In a scientifically progressive era such as our own, it’s exciting to have a Mayor who embraces what the research confirms: Nutrition and Exercise are critical keys to overall health and wellness, particularly in our modern fast-paced world. “I found that I have to eat every 3 hours,” Mayor Iorio explains, as she describes the hectic pace of her job. “I definitely eat every 3 hours, and I don’t miss that. I eat a big breakfast, and I eat again at 10 a.m. I eat at 12 p.m., 3 p.m., and at 6:30 or 7 p.m. That keeps my blood sugar level very constant and has helped me considerably in this position.”

And how does the Mayor deal with stress, you might wonder? “Everyone has stresses at their job, no matter what their job is. And everyone has issues with their family or anything, like health. Exercise is really the best tonic. You can strip away that stress, you feel better about yourself, and you’re better able to cope with the issues of the day. It’s just a winner all the way around.”
Twice a year, each March and October, Mayor Iorio hosts “Walking with the Mayor – Keeping Tampa Fit.” The event is sponsored by the city of Tampa and now in its fifth year. Walkers of any age and ability may participate. Walkers can also visit with community health and wellness providers who are on hand to distribute information and ideas about how to lead a healthier lifestyle.

“I’ve really come to this point in my life where I am a big believer in the right nutrition and exercise, and I really like to share that with people,” she explains. “I’d like to see more people turn to exercise, because it will improve the quality of their life so much…“That’s why I have my walking with the mayor. I also try to really promote Sister to Sister. I’m a co-sponsor of that.” Sister to Sister, The Women’s Heart Health Foundation, brings heart health awareness fairs to more than 20 U.S. Cities. “Sister to sister has come to our city twice now,” Mayor Iorio adds. Currently, it remains the nation's largest provider of free heart disease screenings for women. Last month, on March 20, a multitude of Bay Area residents converged on the Tampa Convention Center to participate in the event which featured healthy cooking demonstrations, health screenings, and follow-up counseling sessions.

City employees were allowed time to attend the event without having to take personal time off; this is truly an advantage of working with a Mayor who genuinely cares about health and wellness. Tampa city employees also enjoy the benefits of having a Wellness Coordinator who sends out notices and health newsletters. Lunch and learn sessions, in which employees can learn from various wellness professionals, are arranged on a regular basis.

Although health and wellness score high on the Mayor’s current list of personal priorities, this wasn’t always the case. “For sure, at this point in my life, I eat so much better than at any other point in my life. I’m a child of the 60’s. We really didn’t even have any food labels back then…You ate whatever. My family always put a nutritious meal on the table. I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that through my life I didn’t really give much thought to it. I ate whatever. I think when I first began to really analyze what I was eating was in my 40’s, when my metabolism started to slow down and I realized that if I wanted to maintain the weight that I felt comfortable with and the size that I felt comfortable with, that I really had to start to think about what I was eating.”

Like nutrition, the role of exercise has also increased for Mayor Iorio. Her professional role provided the impetus for her to integrate exercise into her life more regularly. “When I became Mayor, I realized that I needed some structure in terms of my exercise,” she explains. “It is a very busy and hectic job, and it can be stressful. But I find that exercise is a complete stress-buster.” “I’m actually probably more fit now than I was in other times in my life,” she explains.

.
If you’ve never met Mayor Iorio, a few moments in her presence will put you at ease. Her poise is based on a credible and compassionate confidence. She is accessible and down to earth. She occasionally downplayed her amazingly fit body during the photo shoot, though she really shouldn’t have. She is lean, muscular, and in absolutely fantastic shape. “I’m actually probably more fit now than I was in other times in my life,” she explains. When I was very young, I was very fit. But when I think back to my 30’s, when I had my two children and they were toddlers, I don’t think I was very fit at all. But now, as I’m approaching 50, I actually feel that I’m more fit now than in my 30’s.”

What does the future hold in store for this inspirational woman? Personally, Mayor Iorio will continue enjoying the benefits of exercise, nutrition, and relationships. She is married with two children. Professionally, she will continue advancing the city’s strategic planning goals and promoting health and wellness throughout the community.

For anyone who enjoys running, look for Mayor Iorio at some of the local runs. “I try to participate in every 5K…I really prefer swimming, but I do get out there and I trudge along…I’m not a good runner, but I like to participate in the 5K’s, because I think it’s important as mayor just to be out there and to encourage people who are doing it.”

Thanks to Mayor Iorio for showing such genuine passion and enthusiasm for health and wellness. Look for her around Tampa. You just might find her speaking at any of the numerous engagements she attends each month. Of course she also spends many hours in her office and at meetings. Yet still, twice a year, you can join her early on a Saturday morning for “Walking with the Mayor.”

To learn more about Mayor Pam Iorio and her goals for the city, visit http://www.tampagov.net/dept_Mayor/.