LOOK AT THE LOWS BY FRIDAY,
60s AND 50s POSSIBLY SATURDAY
MORNING.
HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70s.
WE AT CBS4 ARE COMMITTED TO
BRINGING YOU STORIES ABOUT WHY
MENTORING MATTERS.
THE MAYOR OF DANIA BEACH IS ADD
JUSTING TO LIFE IN CITY HALL.
Reporter: TWO OF HER
MENTORS TAUGHT HER IT'S OKAY TO
ASK FOR HELP NO MATTER HOW
SUCCESSFUL YOU ARE.
SHE WAS GOING DOOR TO DOOR AS
MAYOR OF DANE YAP BEACH.
SHE WAS POUNDING THE PAVEMENT
FOR THE BASKETBALL IN FRONT OF
HER CHILDHOOD HOME.
I COME FROM A BASKETBALL
FAMILY.
BELT MY PARENTS PLAY BASKETBALL
AND MY DAD HAD FOUR GIRLS.
NO BOYS.
SO I WAS THE LITTLE BOY OF THE
FAMILY.
Reporter: SHE SHINED AT
EVERY LEVEL.
THE SHRINE AT HER PARENTS'
HOUSE DISPLAYS HER ON KURT
RESUME.
THE SOUTH BROWARD HIGH PRODUCT
WENT ON TO SET THE SCORING ROD
FOR MEN AND WOMEN AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI.
THEN THE PROS CAME CALLING.
THE WASHINGTON MYSTIC
SELECTS TAMARA JAMES FROM THE
OF THE OF MIAMI.
Reporter: HER CAREER WOULD
TAKE HER AS FAR AS ISRAEL.
BACK HOME A DIFFERENT LIFE WAS
WAITING FOR HER SHE JUST DIDN'T
KNOW IT YET.
I ENDED UP IN POLITICS.
IT WASN'T THAT I WANTED TO BE A
POLITICIAN.
Reporter: SHE WAS
SUCCESSFUL IN HER OWN RIGHT BUT
ADMITS YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD FOR
A MENTOR ESPECIALLY
WHENN'TERING A NEW PROFESSION.
THAT'S WHERE FORMER MAYOR COMES
IN.
HE TOLD HER IF SHE WANTED TO
SORT OF COMMUNITY, HE SAID HAVE
TO GET VOTES FACE TO FACE AND
EARN THAT
COMMUNITY'S TRUST.
THAT'S THE SECRET SAUCE.
I MOON, THAT'S THE SECRET
SAUCE TO ANY LOCAL CAMPAIGN,
DOOR TO DOOR MEETING THE
VOTERS.
Reporter: THEY DID JUST
THAT KNOCKING ON OVER 1000
DOORS WITH DUKE IN CHARGE OF
THE Xs AND Os.
I THINK ON THIS STREET WE'LL
HAVE PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS.
YOU GET A SENSE WHEN YOU GO
INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD ORB STREET.
YOU LOOK AT THE PARTIES AND
AGES AND WHAT NOT.
AND WHEN THE STREET'S NAMED
AFTER THE CANDIDATE THAT'S
ALWAYS A GOOD SIGN.
AUTO HAD NO ORGANIZATION I
KNEW I WAS GOING TO KNOCK ON
EVERY SINGLE DOOR.
HE HAD THE PEOPLE WHO HE
KNEW TO GO TO.
HIS CONTACTS.
THINGS THAT HELPED HIM WIN.
HI, BABY HOW ARE YOU?
GOOD.
Reporter: WHEN WE CAUGHT UP
WITH THESE TWO THEY DECIDED IT
WAS TIME TO THANK THE VOTERS.
HOW'S SHE DOING?
VERY COMPETITIVE.
Reporter: MENTOR IS VERY
MUCH LIKE A RUNNER ON A SHIP.
YOU KNOW, I MANY, YOU CAN
HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SHIP THAT HAS
EVERYTHING YOU NEED BUT IF IT
DOESN'T HAVE A
RUDDER IT WANDERS AROUND AND
DOESN'T GET TO WHERE IT NEED TO
GO.
Reporter: TAMARA NOW
CAPTAINS A NEW TEAM BUT MENTORS
AT THIS STAGE IN HER LIFE ARE
AROUND EVERY CORN.
SEES LIKE MY SECOND MOM.
SHE WILL ALWAYS BUY THE MAYOR
TO ME.
Reporter: COMMISSIONER
GRACE WAS ONCE MAYOR HERSELF
PROVIDES A DIFFERENT KIND OF
GUIDANCE WHILE STILL
SERVING THE CITY OF DANIA
BEACH.
I WAS THE CALM PERSON THAT
BEFORE THE STORM TO LET MER
KNOW, YES,, YOU CAN DO THIS.
YES, YOU CAN D THIS.
NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
AND YES, BY ALL MEANS GET OUT
THERE AND LET THEM KNOW WHO YOU
ARE.
.
I'M A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM
HER.
I'M A LIT MORAL
CONFRONTATIONAL.
I'M A LITTLE MORE BLUNT.
AND, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM
WHERE I COME FROM, TO POLITICAL
YOU CAN'T LEAD WITH YOUR
EMOTIONS.
SO SHE WILL ALWAYS WILL BE BACK
HERE.
Reporter: SHE'S MAKING HER
MENTORS PROUD NOT WITH HER
PUBLIC SERVICE BUT WITH THE
FOUNDATION SHE RUNS
WHICH SERVES TOUR EMPOWER THE
CHILDREN IN DANIA BEACH.
IT'S A PHILOSOPHY THAT I
HAVE AND I THINK TAMARA HAS THE
SAME PHILOSOPHY.
OUR PARENTS DID NOT RAISE US TO
BE A BLACK WOMAN BUT THEY
RAISED US TO BE A PRODUCTIVE
WOMAN.
Reporter: NOW, SHE'S
ATTACKING POLITICS THE SAME WAY
SHE ATTACKED KNOWN ON THE
BASKETBALL COURT.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE PEOPLE I
SIT THERE WITH WE'RE TEAMMATES.
WE EXPOSE PEOPLE AT THEIR
GREATEST MOMENTS.
THAT'S LIKE HAVING A SHOOTER
INTERSECTION CORNER NOT A GREAT
DRIBBLER SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
PUT THEM IN A POSITION TO
DRIBBLE.
YOU'RE GOING TO SET THEM UP FOR
THE SHOT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE
GOING TO NEED.
Reporter: SHE ADMITS THE
FIRST FEW MONTH ON THE JOB HAVE
BEEN A BIT OF A CRASH COURSE.
BUT HER GOAL IS TO BOLSTER
EDUCATION AND PROVIDE MORE
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AS WELL
AS TAKE CARE OF THE
SENIOR CITIZENS SUV DANIA
BEACH.
MIKE CUGNO CBS4 THIS MORNING.
HEAD OVER TO OUR WEBSITE TO
BECOME A MENTOR C