Recognition marks third time office receives Florida’s highest honor for organizational performance excellence
TAMPA, Fla., May 1, 2025 – The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office (HCTC) proudly celebrates being named a recipient of the prestigious 2025 Governor’s Sterling Award, as announced today by the Sterling Council. This award is Florida’s highest recognition for organizations that demonstrate superior management approaches, outstanding results, and a strong commitment to continuous improvement using rigorous quality standards.
This marks the third time the office has received this distinguished honor, having first earned the award in 2008 as both the first tax collector in the state and the first government agency in Hillsborough County to do so, followed by the Sterling Sustained Excellence Award in 2011.
The Sterling Council, which oversees the annual awards program, announced today that HCTC is one of three organizations being honored this year for demonstrating superior management approaches and role model results. The Sterling Council’s formal presentation will take place on May 30, 2025, in Orlando.
“This is a tremendous honor for our entire organization,” said Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy Millan. “Sterling’s criteria for performance excellence has been an invaluable roadmap for the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Journey to Amazing. It has helped us align our efforts with our mission, vision, and core values, focusing on meeting our customers’ needs, supporting our team, and driving consistent results through effective processes.”
Since adopting the Sterling Management System in 2004, HCTC has been committed to streamlining business processes and achieving positive results. Under Millan’s leadership since 2021, the office has further enhanced customer service, accessibility, and innovation, consistently focusing on doing the right thing, going the extra mile, and working together as #TeamHCTC. She created and implemented the Journey to Amazing roadmap, making it part of the culture and core values of the agency.
The team at the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office is committed to excellence in public service and achieving stellar results. In fiscal year 2024 alone, the office collected and distributed over $3.5 billion in funding for essential community services and served more than one million in-person customers while maintaining a 94% customer satisfaction rating and 4.7 Google Review score. This recognition affirms the office’s dedication to serving Hillsborough County residents with efficiency and innovation.
“As we celebrate receiving the 2025 Governor’s Sterling Award, I’m reminded that excellence is a journey, not a destination,” said Millan. “Our team has transformed the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office into a role model for government organizations in Hillsborough County and across Florida, focusing on customer service, accessibility, and innovation. This recognition, 17 years after our first Sterling Award, demonstrates our commitment to high-performance operations that truly focus on our customers.”
For more information about the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office and its services, visit hillstaxfl.gov.
About The Sterling Council:
The Sterling Council, established in 1992 by Governor Lawton Chiles, is a public/private not-for-profit corporation supported by the Executive Office of the Governor. The Council oversees the Governor’s Sterling Award for Performance Excellence and the Georgia Oglethorpe Award, which is based on the national Malcolm Baldrige Award, with Awards being presented annually to high performing, role-model organizations, both private and public, who demonstrate superior management approaches and role model results.
For more information visit www.thesterlingcouncil.org
About Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office:
The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office (HCTC) serves approximately 1.6 million residents across Florida’s third-largest county through nine offices staffed by over 400 dedicated employees. We collect and distribute property, tangible, business, and tourist development taxes that fund essential community services including schools, roads, and public safety.
As an agent for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, we provide motor vehicle, vessel, and mobile home titles and registrations, issue driver licenses and ID cards, administer driving tests, issue disabled parking permits, collect tolls, and clear toll violations.
Through partnerships with various state and local agencies, we offer additional services including Florida birth certificates, concealed weapons permits, vehicle for hire permits, and hunting and fishing licenses—all distributed according to Florida Statutes.
Our dedication to empowering the community through accessible, innovative services is guided by our values of doing the right thing, going the extra mile, and working together as #TeamHCTC to lead in delivering amazing service experiences. For more information, visit hillstaxfl.gov.