Twenty years ago, downtown Pensacola felt disconnected from its greatest asset—the water. Today, thanks to community leaders like Juanita Scott, residents and visitors alike can’t imagine our city without the Community Maritime Park and the vibrant waterfront it has created.
In a recent podcast interview, Scott opened up about the campaign that changed Pensacola, sharing insider secrets about what it really takes to win a high-stakes community referendum.
From Baltimore Harbor to Pensacola Bay
Scott’s passion for waterfront development wasn’t born in Pensacola—it was forged in Baltimore, where she grew up watching her hometown’s harbor transform from an empty lot hosting city fairs with Cab Calloway into the thriving Camden Yards district.
- “I remember when there was absolutely nothing there,” Scott recalled. “I lived with that thought, with that idea for so long” of what waterfront development could accomplish for a community.
When Quint Studer began talking about economic development “not just for one segment of the community, but for everybody,” Scott knew she had found her cause.
The Science and Art of Campaigning
What sets Scott apart isn’t just her passion—it’s her systematic approach to political campaigning. She breaks successful campaigns into two essential components: the art and the science.
The Art: “We had the purpose. We knew who had the passion. We knew the community had the drive; we had the resources to really make it happen.”
The Science: “How many votes do we need to make this thing happen? Where are those votes, and how do we get them to the poll? That’s your focus. Anything else is a distraction.”
Scott’s approach still works today:
- Know your numbers – Identify exactly how many votes you need and where they’ll come from
- Stay focused – Treat opposition noise as a distraction from your core mission
- Be present everywhere – Show up at every precinct because “there’s still people that go to the poll that don’t know what they [are voting on]”
- Think generationally – Remember you’re building something that will outlast you
The Adrenaline Rush of Democracy
Scott’s description of campaign life captures the total immersion that comes with fighting for something you believe in:
- “Everything is faster. You eat faster, you talk faster… You dress faster, you drive faster. Everything that you do is faster. So you are hyped up all the time.”
“You’re making phone calls at six-thirty in the morning,” she laughs, describing the rush that comes from working toward something you “truly, truly believe in.”
Victory That Transcends the Moment
When the votes were counted and the Maritime Park referendum passed, Scott felt something deeper than personal victory:
- “That victory is not just for you; it is for your community, and it is not just for your community; it’s for your children, and it’s not just for your children. It’s for your grandchildren and the generations to come.”
“You know that you’re planting the seed, you’re laying the foundation for the future. It’s all about legacy in the community.”
My book “Community Maritime Park: Right Idea, Right Time” chronicles the full story of this campaign. The “(We Don’t) Color on the Dog” podcast features in-depth interviews with the people who shape Pensacola’s development.