The energy that CivicCon began with this fall is set to build in 2018.

Bob Graham, former Florida governor and former U.S. Senator, will kick off the speaker series next year, talking about the importance of having citizens engaged with public life.

Studer Community Institute wants to bring the best minds in how to make a city a great place to live together and learn from them. That’s the idea behind a new effort by SCI in partnership with the Pensacola News Journal called CivicCon.

CivicCon will highlight thought leaders and compelling speakers on a series of topics meant to improve planning, prosperity and quality of life in Pensacola.

—  Graham will discuss civic engagement from 6-7:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Pensacola Little Theatre.

— Tom Murphy, former mayor of Pittsburgh, will speak on public-private partnerships from 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 12. The venue is yet to be determined.

— Ed McMahon will be discussing why community character counts from 6-7:30 p.m. March 13 at the Pensacola Little Theatre. McMahon is an authority on sustainable development, land conservation and urban design.

Click here to learn more about these speakers and about CivicCon at the Pensacola News Journal.

CivicCon started on Sept. 26 with Chuck Marhon, a civil engineer who is the co-founder of Strong Towns.

Strong Towns is a nonprofit that encourages citizens, developers and cities to rethink the way their communities grow.

Improving the quality of life is at the heart of the Studer Community Institute’s mission and work in leadership and business skill development and early learning education and outreach.