Building Vibrant Cities Across America
September 23–25, 2025 | Pensacola, FL
In times of change and uncertainty, strong, vibrant, communities matter more than ever. They help us feel grounded, protected, and empowered. A great community is a safe place to land, a source for local solutions, and a base for economic stability. The Civic Leader Summit offers up three days packed with fresh ideas and proven best practices for making yours even better.
The Summit will help you “get local” with actionable strategies, practical tools and tactics, and impactful connections. The agenda is filled with people who are “in the trenches” doing the work right now and who are committed to bringing tried and true strategies to help solve communities’ toughest problems.
2025 Keynote Speakers
Quint Studer
Quint is the author of Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America, and founder of the Center for Civic Engagement, which focuses on finding top experts from around the country educate citizens on best practices. He also founded Vibrant Community Partners, which coaches small and mid-size communities in building out a blueprint for achieving growth and excellence.
He notes that while we all tend to get focused on national news, in times of swirling change getting local is where the difference is really made. When people feel anxious and destabilized, a vibrant community is both a safe place to land and an incubator for local solutions.
Chuck Marohn
Chuck Marohn is the founder and president of Strong Towns. With decades of experience as a land use planner and civil engineer, Marohn is on a mission to help cities and towns become stronger and more prosperous. He spreads the Strong Towns message through in-person presentations, the Strong Towns Podcast, and his books and articles. In recognition of his efforts and impact, Planetizen named him one of the 15 Most Influential Urbanists of all time in 2017 and 2023.
Jill Miller
Jill Miller is President and CEO of Bethesda Inc., co-sponsor of TriHealth and creator of the bi3 Fund.
Through Jill’s leadership, the bi3 Fund, one of Ohio’s leading health grantmakers, has awarded more than $105 million in grants to fuel health equity and innovation. Jill is proud that nearly 220 babies are alive today due to the collaborative efforts bi3 helped fund to reduce infant mortality in Hamilton County. She is passionate about leading the way to a day when every person has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.
Throughout her two-decade career, Jill has worked in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. She is a board member of Philanthropy Ohio and Bethesda Foundation, serves on multiple TriHealth Steering Committees advancing health equity and care delivery, was a member of the Hamilton Country Commission on Women & Girls, and is the former chair of the Greater Cincinnati Funders Collaborative. Jill also co-founded and led the public foundation of Cincinnati Reds All-Star Joey Votto.
Dr. Meredith Smith
Dr. Meredith Smith is the executive director of Cradle Cincinnati, a network of partners working to improve Hamilton County, Ohio’s infant mortality rate. She also serves as an assistant field professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Smith has a relentless commitment to addressing health disparities, particularly among Black women and babies, and actively participates in Ohio’s Eliminating Racial Disparities in Infant Mortality Task Force and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Maternal Mental Health.
Dr. Smith also founded Queens Village, a safe space for Black mothers to support and be supported by their peers while working toward maternal and birth equity, which has grown to 12 chapters nationwide. Meredith lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is the devoted mother to two brilliant Black women.
D.C. Reeves
D.C. Reeves was sworn in as Mayor of his hometown, Pensacola, on Nov. 22, 2022, becoming the youngest person (38) to be elected mayor in 101 years.
Before taking office, Reeves spent his professional career as a sports journalist, author, community builder, and small business owner.
On February 26, 2024, D.C. signed a transformative agreement for Pensacola. It was a 10-year lease agreement with American Magic, one of the premiere sailing organizations in the world, which will now call Pensacola its permanent home. The agreement and $18 million facility will plant the flag for Pensacola as the top sailing destination in the United States.
D.C. also established the city’s first-ever grants office, a decision that has earned more than $100 million in grant funding in just two years. That has been the catalyst for several generational projects underway, including the legacy campus at Baptist Hospital and the largest stormwater project in city history, the Hollice T. Williams Greenway.
D.C. believes rest can come when Pensacola is a great place, not just for a few, not just for most, but for all people.
More to be announced!
Breakout Sessions
Stay tuned as we confirm our breakout sessions!
Getting Here
Pensacola is located on Interstate 10 on the Western Edge of the Florida Panhandle.
Pensacola International Airport is approximately 15 minutes Northeast of our venues, and services flights from Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, and Nashville.
Where to Stay
We've secured several room blocks for Civic Leader Summit attendees just minutes from the event venue. These rooms are limited, so we recommend booking early using the links below!
