2022-23 Speakers

LORETTA LYNCH

Former U.S. Attorney General
Tuesday, September 20, 2022 8pm

An influential prosecutor, Lynch, appointed by President Obama in 2015, was the first female African American and the second female U.S. Attorney General. As the head of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York twice, she fought terrorism, financial fraud and cybercrime, while defending civil and human rights.

JOHN BRENNAN

CIA Director 2013-2017
Tuesday, October 25, 2022 8pm

Having had a front row seat in the tumultuous arena of world affairs for more than three decades, Brennan worked his way up to head the Central Intelligence Agency from 2013-2017. He served six successive presidents, including Clinton and G. W. Bush. Brennan is a senior national security and intelligence analyst at NBC.

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MARIA RESSA

2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Tuesday, November 8, 2022 8pm

The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner for her work exposing abuses of power, Ressa is the co-founder and executive editor of news outlet Rappler.com. She has been honored around the world for her courageous and bold work fighting disinformation, “fake news,” and attempts to silence the free press.

ERIK LARSON

Award-Winning Author
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 8pm

An award-winning master of narrative non-fiction, Larson has spent years on the New York Times Bestseller list for his vividly written books such as The Splendid and the Vile, The Devil in the White City, Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, Thunderstruck, and In the Garden of Beasts.

SCOTT KELLY

NASA Astronaut
Tuesday, February 21, 2023 8pm

Kelly made history as the first American astronaut to complete a record-breaking year-long mission aboard the International Space Station. A former Navy fighter pilot, he is a veteran of four space flights—three of which he commanded. Kelly has traveled 200 million miles in space and orbited Earth 8,300 times.

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ANTHONY RAY HINTON

Death Row Exonoree
Tuesday, April 11, 2023 8pm

One of the longest-serving death row prisoners in Alabama history, Hinton was released after serving 30 years for a crime he did not commit. Released with the help of the Equal Justice Initiative, Hinton is now a powerful advocate for changes to the criminal justice system.

TOM FRIEDMAN

New York Times Columnist
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 8pm

Friedman is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including Hot, Flat, and Crowded. As the New York Times foreign affairs columnist for 27 years, Friedman is renowned for his direct reporting and analysis of foreign affairs, global trade, the Middle East, and environmental issues.

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