ERIE, Pennsylvania (June 25) – The Jefferson Educational Society, the nonpartisan think tank headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania, known for its signature fall speaker series, the Global Summit announced speakers and events scheduled for the 18th annual Global Summit during a scheduled media conference at 10 a.m. at the JES, located at 3207 State St.
In a lineup that continues the precedence of excellence set in past years’ Global Summits, Dr. Ferki Ferati, president of the JES, shared more event details, including:
Tuesday, Sept. 22: The lineup kicks off with "President Trump, the MAGA Movement and 2028: What’s Next for the GOP?” featuring Hugh Hewitt, nationally syndicated radio host, constitutional law professor, and political commentator.
Thursday, Sept. 24: “Steeler Legend & FOX SPORTS Broadcaster Talks Everything Football” with Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl winning NFL quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Tuesday, Sept. 29: “How Erie is Shaping Ukraine’s Future” with William B. Taylor, a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, and Jim Berlin, Logistics Plus founder and chairman.
Thursday, Oct. 1: This year’s Thomas B. Hagen Dignitas Award, a long-standing tradition of recognizing an Erie native for outstanding achievements in their field and significant contributions to society, will honor Bishop Sean W. Rowe, 28th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.
Monday, Oct. 5: “The ‘Godfather’ of Artificial Intelligence on the New Frontier of Technology,” featuring Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “Godfather of AI,” who received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics and whose research has formed the backbone of nearly every modern AI system.
Monday, Oct. 19: “The US Constitution and Our Republic: Will We Keep It?,” featuring Jeffrey Rosen, a prolific author, law professor, and CEO Emeritus at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Thursday, Oct. 20: The JES again partners with Gannon University for its Dr. David and MaryAnne Kozak Gannon READS event. The event, will feature author Simran Jett Singh, who will focus on his book, “The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life.”
Wednesday, Oct. 21: “Why the Transatlantic Alliance Matters: Protecting Ukraine’s Children and Europe’s Next Generation,” featuring Sally Painter, global business strategist specializing in transatlantic relations, and Mariam Lambert, expert on public policy and civic innovation.
Thursday, Oct. 22: For “America’s Homeland Security: 25 Years After 9/11,” Erie’s very own Gov. Tom Ridge will join former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson (2013-2017) and former Homeland Security Adviser to President George W. Bush, Fran Townsend, in a conversation on national security, terrorism, and the enduring lessons of Sept. 11, 2001, when Ridge served as the first President of Homeland Security.
Monday, Oct. 26: “Lake Erie Launchpad” a Shark Tank-inspired event showcasing a handful of Erie entrepreneurs making business presentations to a panel of angel investors and successful business owners and entrepreneurs with real funding on the line.
Wednesday, Oct. 28: “Looking Back While Forging Ahead: Examining Erie’s Economic Development,” will host panelists to discuss the state of the economy and opportunities facing Erie, with Steve Leeper, President and CEO of 3CDC, and Tim NeCastro, President and CEO of Erie Insurance.
Thursday, Oct. 29: “March, Run, Vote: Graphic Storytelling and the Fight for Democracy,” featuring Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, the creative team behind “March” the groundbreaking graphic memoir trilogy that chronicles the Civil Rights Movement and the late U.S. Congressman Jon Lewis’ journey from the rural south to the hall of Congress.
Wednesday, Nov. 4: “The 1619 Project: Examining the Origins of American Slavery 400 years Later,” featuring Nikole Hannah Jones, Pulitzer Prize winner and one of the most consequential journalists of her generation, discussing her landmark 1619 Project.
Monday, Nov. 9: “From the Revolution to World Wars: The Battles that Defined America,” featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author Rick Atkinson.
Tuesday, Nov. 10: “The Producers Behind Ken Burns’ Award-Winning PBS Documentaries” featuring Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, acclaimed documentary filmmakers behind some of the most celebrated historical documentaries in American television.
Thursday, Nov. 12: “The Mingle Project: Restoring Civility in Our Society through Gathering,” featuring Michael Smerconish, host of Smerconish on CNN, nationally syndicated radio host, bestselling author, and former lawyer.
Monday, Nov. 16: "America’s Greatest Challenges at Home and Abroad,” featuring Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Governor of South Carolina.
Thursday, Nov. 19: “The Author of ‘Autocracy Inc.’ on How Dictators Are Working Together to Run the World” featuring Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize winning author, The Atlantic writer, and Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Schools of Advanced International Studies.
Details for events, including how to register, can be found on the JES’s website, JESErie.org. Early bird tickets start at $25 for all events, and, as in previous years, all students will be admitted free with pre-registration and proof of enrollment through the JES.
“The Global Summit continues to embrace the opportunity to learn from the world’s leading thinkers, researchers, and practitioners, raising the bar once again with an exceptional lineup of speakers,” said Ferati, who spoke at the media conference. “We're proud to bring these voices to Erie, which is made possible by community support and our partners and sponsors who work to create unparalleled opportunities for lifelong learning.”
The Global Summit is hosted each year by JES in cooperation with numerous community sponsors and partners, including LECOM Health, Erie Insurance, Logistics Plus, Gannon University, GECAC, and the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership.
For more information, including how to register for tickets, please visit the JES’s website, www.jeserie.org. If further assistance is needed, JES can be reached at 814.459.8000.
For more information, please contact:
Chelsea Oliver
Director of Marketing and Community Engagement
Jefferson Educational Society
Email: oliver@jeserie.org
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The Jefferson Educational Society of Erie is a nonprofit and nonpartisan institution founded to promote civic enlightenment and community progress for the Erie region through study, research, and discussion. The Jefferson offers courses, seminars, and lectures that explain the central ideas that have formed the past, assist in exploring the present, and offer guidance to enhance the civic future of the Erie region. As an Erie think tank, the Jefferson Educational Society promotes knowledge and civic pride through research, the publication of policy papers on public issues, essays, reports, and the sponsorship of civic forums.
