The City of Tampa is hosting its annual Josephine Howard Stafford Memorial Award ceremony on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. The event is set to take place at Lykes Gaslight Square Park at 241 East Madison Street in downtown Tampa, and will be broadcast via Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/CityofTampaFL/
Mayor Jane Castor will present the 2021 Josephine Howard Stafford Memorial Award to Ida Walker, Senior Executive Aide, Tampa Police Department. Walker has served the citizens of Tampa for the past 38 years, with nearly 29 years as Senior Executive Aide to the Chief of Police. She has been retained by the past six police chiefs and has been recognized by the Tampa Police Department several times as Employee of the Month, as well as the 2015 Employee of the Year.
"Ida's character transcends every core quality of an employee with a heart for public service,” said Mayor Castor. “She's poured her wisdom and sowed seeds of positivity into countless employees, including myself. I am humbly honored to present this prestigious award to her."
The Josephine Howard Stafford Memorial Award was created to honor a current or former City of Tampa female employee who demonstrates outstanding commitment to her position and the community. The award is presented in memory of Josephine Howard Stafford who served as an Assistant City Attorney for 24 years.
Stafford was the first female judge in Hillsborough County and a pioneer for women’s issues, both professionally and in the community.
For more information on Tampa’s Women’s History Month Celebration, including past Josephine Howard Stafford Memorial Award winners, please visit tampa.gov/whm