Shannon Nickinson, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Shannon NickinsonJanuary 14, 2016

Montclair Elementary School is a long way from the Pensacola Bay Center. It is light-years away from the spectacle that unfolded at the Pensacola landmark when Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump addressed a packed house Wednesday at the 10,000-person capacity arena. There were plenty of movers and shakers at the Trump event, and a lot […]

Shannon NickinsonDecember 28, 2015

In Escambia County, minimum wage jobs aren’t just for kids. And that’s part of the reason this metro area lags behind others in the state in terms of prosperity. That’s according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, shared by the UWF Office of Economic Development and Engagement. About one of every five jobs (23.6 […]

Shannon NickinsonDecember 23, 2015

What if everything you needed to know in life you really did learn in kindergarten, but none of it was evaluated on a state standardized test? Would it still count? A study released earlier this year and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation hints that the answer is a resounding yes. The study was […]

Shannon NickinsonNovember 19, 2015

Way back in 1992, the political wisdom of the day came down to one thing: It’s the economy. In 2015 in Pensacola, it still is. The Pensacola Young Professionals rolled out the 2015 Quality of Life survey on Oct. 21. The survey, conducted June 11-16 by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research asked 800 people who match […]

Shannon NickinsonNovember 17, 2015

Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants the state university system to aim high. To achieve that he announced the “Ready, Set, Work” College Challenge this past week at the Association of Florida Colleges Trustee Commission meeting in Lake Buena Vista. The governor wants all 28 state colleges to participate by graduating 100 percent of their full-time […]

Shannon NickinsonNovember 10, 2015

It’s Scott Luth’s job to find jobs. As the head of FloridaWest, Escambia County’s economic development agency, Luth is the point-man for selling Pensacola as the pick of the litter in the Southeast. “All the companies that we work with are net importers of wealth and that’s where we focus,” Luth says. “That’s everything from […]

Shannon NickinsonOctober 19, 2015

Northwest Florida has a lot going for it. That was among the bits of wisdom and moments of insight offered throughout the recent Gulf Power Economic Symposium at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin. What we do with all that potential and goodwill created by our area’s natural beauty and a workforce influenced […]

Shannon NickinsonOctober 13, 2015

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have found that poor children benefited from the academic boost that the state voluntary prekindergarten program gave them. But the benefit didn’t last when they moved through elementary school. The researchers who conducted the five-year $6 million study had conclusions about why poor kids who got a boost from VPK didn’t […]

Shannon NickinsonSeptember 29, 2015

This should be the University of West Florida time in the sun. Pensacola’s university saw funding restored this year following a marked improvement on the new state-mandated performance metrics. The measurements –10 in all from academic progression rates, to graduation rates to median first-year salaries for graduates — are Florida’s latest salvo in the ever-expanding […]

Shannon NickinsonSeptember 22, 2015

It’s easy to tell what a government values. What it values is what it funds. Escambia County Commissioners were scheduled Tuesday to talk more about their values – in the form of the $412 million overall budget they have before them. It will be the second public hearing on the document, which includes requests for […]

Shannon Nickinson
A nice warm evening in Tallahassee on a very busy street while taking this shot.

Shannon Nickinson: Reading Pals help youngsters get a strong start in school

Shannon Nickinson: Minimum wage now amounts to a minimum life

Shannon Nickinson: Make education fun to make it last

Shannon Nickinson: Investment can ease West Florida's economic worries

Shannon Nickinson: School, community collaboration key to educated workforce

Shannon Nickinson: Try assessing why jobs pass Pensacola by

Shannon Nickinson: Economic symposium points way for NW Florida's future

Shannon Nickinson: Kids need more than pre-K to overcome poverty's obstacles

Shannon Nickinson: University of West Florida’s story is Pensacola’s story — striving to do more

Shannon Nickinson: What will be our definition of the future?