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About Mayor Tamara James

Leader, community advocate, University of Miami alumna, retired WNBA athlete, world traveler, mother, and now in her second term as the Mayor of Dania Beach, Tamara James’ ongoing mission is to strengthen society with her exemplary leadership. Tamara was born and raised in Dania Beach, FL. As the youngest mayor in the history of Dania Beach, garnering the most votes in history in 2016, Tamara broke her own record during her second reelection. Tamara has a fervent passion for providing Dania Beach residents with transparent leadership, safe practices, and viable community programs to create a thriving, unified environment for all citizens; so much so that they co-named a street “Tamara James Ave”, a true testament to her love and dedication to her community.

As a former WNBA athlete and professional European basketball player, Tamara has learned the value of teamwork, leadership, dedication, perseverance, and hard work, and as the all-time leading scorer for men’s and women’s basketball at the University of Miami, Ms. James exhibits a dignified humility for the beloved state of Florida – a place which has fully contributed to her growth, experiences, and finest accomplishments. Needless to say, being a leader comes naturally for Ms. James.

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In 2006, Ms. James started the “Tamara James Foundation, Inc” with a mission to empower, educate, and strengthen the area by providing opportunities to build strong children, strong families, strong communities, and strong, future generations through sports and community events.

Through Tamara’s philanthropic and charitable initiatives, she has provided health resources, food and clothing, sports clinics for the youth, and several other opportunities to bridge the gap and promote unity within the surrounding communities. In fact, she has been giving back to her community since her teenage years, and her ardor for the improvement and progression of Dania Beach has only grown since.

Coming from humble beginnings in an under-served community, James' mission is to continue breaking barriers for those who will come after her.
 

A RECORD OF SUCCESS

Mayor Tamara James has proven and demonstrated her ability to enact real change in her community and beyond. She strongly believes that the ultimate power resides in the people in Dania Beach, as she seeks to co-power every citizen to live a fruitful life. Mayor James promotes and implements policies which strengthen the people who she touches with her leadership, truly representing the will of the people and the voices of the unheard. Although she is in her 2nd term as Mayor, there are many things that have been accomplished over the past 4 years:

  • First Time Home Buyers Program with Down Payment Assistance

  • Rebranded the City of Dania Beach

  • Approved Medical Marijuana in the City

  • Funded Senior Program within Parks and Recreation

  • Hired New City Manager, New Parks Director, New CRA Director

  • Created Internship Program

  • Created a Youth Advisory Council Program for our Youth

  • Passed a Parks and Rec Masterplan

  • Passed a Beach Masterplan

  • Passed a City-wide Landscaping and Lighting Masterplan

  • Funded over $5M in Drainage Capital Improvement Projects

  • Negotiated a Multi-Year Union Contract

  • Approved Low Income Developments

  • Took Over All Sports Programs

  • Renourishment of our Beach

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