The FBI Tampa Field Office congratulates Ami Marie Granger Welch, a dedicated advocate for public school students and their parents in Hillsborough County, as recipient of the 2023 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). Director Christopher Wray recently presented the award to Ms. Welch during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. to honor all award recipients selected by each of the FBI’s 56 field offices. Ms. Welch is the current President of the Hillsborough County School Board Parent/Teacher Association (PTA).  
 
“The FBI is proud to present Ms. Welch with this award. We applaud her efforts in partnering with law enforcement to bring important safety information to students and parents and helping area schools strengthen relationships with law enforcement agencies,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Field Office, Rodney Crawford. 
 
As the PTA President, Ms. Welch identified areas within the school district in which law enforcement, including the FBI, could provide informational briefs on a wide range of topics, to  
include online safety, financial sextortion, and human trafficking. These briefs were provided to parents and teachers to offer them the tools necessary for identifying potential issues within the youth community. In the last year, the FBI participated with local law enforcement on numerous occasions to educate the community on potential threats. 
 
"Our success as both a law enforcement and an intelligence agency hinge on our ability to foster and maintain genuine partnerships with people in all communities,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “People like this year’s Leadership Award recipients not only identify what others need, but they are willing to roll up their sleeves and provide services. They are building bridges and relationships while putting in the work to have hard conversations and find common purpose. They do it out of kindness and compassion with a sincere belief that justice – in its many forms – requires all of us to do the right thing in the right way."  
 
The FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award was formally created in 1990 to honor individuals and organizations for their extraordinary contributions to the prevention of crime and violence in the community. Each year, FBI field offices nominate individuals or organizations that have demonstrated outstanding contributions to their communities through service.