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Sandy Freedman Oral History Project

University of South Florida

Interview with: Sarah Lang

Interviewed by: Robert Kerstein

Location: Sarah Lang’s office in City Hall (Tampa, FL)

Date: January 27, 2006

Transcribed by: Rebecca Willman

Edited by: Robert Kerstein (09/06)

Rebecca Willman (09/11/06)

Final Edit by: Nicole Cox (09/11/07)

[Tape 1, Side A]

RK: This is an interview with Ms. Sarah Lang, January 27, 2006 in her office in City

Hall. Thanks a lot for meeting with me, I appreciate it. Can I ask a couple of, kind of

background questions in terms of your own history?

SL: Of course.

RK: Were you born in Tampa?

SL: No I wasn’t. Where I was born doesn’t have anything to do with Tampa, I was an air

force brat. I did come by way of Tampa when my father retired from the military, and he

was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base. But shortly thereafter he decided to move the

family to Bradenton. So I grew up in Bradenton, Florida, and then came to Tampa after

graduate school, and that was 1977.

RK: And what was your degree in graduate school?

SL: I had a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Georgia.

RK: And when did you begin working for the City of Tampa?

SL: I actually was still working on my graduate degree, and I was hired in September of

1977. I was looking for an internship and I was hired with federal funds for a 90-day

period, which is what I also needed to fulfill my degree requirements of having a full

time internship with a public government—any, any local state or national. So I was hired

for 90 days, and then another 90 days [laughs]. And then maybe, I think another year

extension—this was the CETA Program, which had a tremendous influence on the city

back then. They hired a lot of employees for different programs. Eventually I got a

regular position, and I’m still working with the City of Tampa today.

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RK: And what is your position today?

SL: Today I’m Employee Relations Manager.

RK: And what are you primary responsibilities?

SL: Well I handle all of t