ERIE \u2013 The Jefferson Educational Society (JES) kicked off its 17th annual signature fall speaker series, the Global Summit, on Sept. 16 in front of a record-setting crowd for the single largest ticketed educational event in Erie history, hosting \u201cA Conversation with President Barack Obama.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The nonpartisan think tank headquartered in Erie promoting civic engagement and education continues its 2025 Global Summit through Dec. 4, which includes three updates.<\/p>\n
Both \u201cFaith, Religion, and American Politics: A Conversation with Vice President Mike Pence and Paul McNulty,\u201d\u00a0featuring Vice President Mike Pence and former Grove City College President Paul McNulty, and \u201c\u2018All Too Clear\u2019 \u2013 Exploring Invasive Species Beneath the Surface of the Great Lakes,\u201d a documentary screening and panel discussion with Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick, will be hosted at new locations.<\/p>\n
The Wednesday, Nov. 5, event featuring Pence and McNulty has been moved to the JES, located at 3207 State St., Erie; the Friday, Nov. 7, documentary screening and panel discussion with Drebet and Melnick, will take place at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, 301 Peninsula Drive, Erie.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we launched the Global Summit in 2009 as a two-and-a-half-day series of five events, all programs were hosted at the JES,\u201d said Ferki Ferati, president of JES. \u201cToday, we\u2019re excited to be able to continue to host dynamic, insightful conversations on our on campus, and to bring world-class events into the community through great partnerships at a variety of locations, now including the Tom Ridge Environmental Center.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, JES announced that, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Thursday, Oct. 23 event, \u201cLeading through Listening: The Importance of Trust, Culture, and Feedback,\u201d has been postponed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are sorry we can\u2019t make it this year, but we do look forward to rescheduling this as soon as possible,\u201d said Col. Katie Crombe and Gen. Joe Votel, who were previously scheduled to appear at this year\u2019s Global Summit. \u201cWe appreciate the role that important forums like JES\u2019s Global Summit plays\u00a0in advancing public discourse and connecting leaders on key issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
As soon as a new date is secured, the JES will share details with the media and post updates on its website, where the most up-to-date information about the Global Summit events can be found.<\/p>\n
Additional Global Summit events include:<\/p>\n
Wednesday, Oct. 22: \u201cA Journey of Perseverance: An Evening with Jim Kelly,\u201d featuring Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarter Jim KellyFriday, Oct. 24:\u00a0\u201cEurope with(out) the U.S. \u2014 the Future of NATO and the European Union,\u201d\u00a0featuring former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Mark Gitenstein.\u00a0Monday, Oct. 27: \u201cThe Future of College Athletics and Sports Media: Where They Are Now, Where They Are Headed,\u201d\u00a0featuring Adrian \u2018Woj\u2019 Wojnarowski, St. Bonaventure Men’s Basketball General Manager, former ESPN Senior NBA Insider.Wednesday, Oct. 29: \u201cThis Just In: Latest Discoveries in the Universe,\u201d featuring famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.Monday, Nov. 3: \u201cAmerican Progress from the Front Lines: Examining Local-Level Action, Innovation, and Solutions to Cities\u2019 Challenges in Chaotic Times,\u201d\u00a0featuring a panel of former U.S. Mayors including Richard J. Berry (Albuquerque); Greg Fischer (Louisville); and William Peduto (Pittsburgh).Thursday, Nov. 6: \u201cAutocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder,\u201d\u00a0with Michael McFaul, director of the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford University.Monday, Nov. 10: \u201c\u2018Carson the Magnificent\u2019 \u2013 A Look at the Iconic TV Host and His Impact on Comedy Today,\u201d featuring Mike Thomas, critically-acclaimed author.Tuesday, Nov. 11: \u201cHumanity 2050: The Future of Our World, Our Universe, and Ourselves,\u201d Charles Liu, astronomer, educator, author, and science communicator.Thursday, Nov. 13: \u201cNew Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement,\u201d\u00a0featuring Senior Political Analyst and Best-Selling Author Juan Williams.Friday, Nov. 14: \u201cThe Medium is the Message: Media\u2019s Impact on National Politics,\u201d featuring renowned political analyst, bestselling author, Emmy-award winner, and founder of the University of Virginia\u2019s Center for Politics Larry Sabato.\u00a0Thursday, Dec. 4: \u201cAn Evening \u2018Exploring Your Roots\u2019 with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.,\u201d featuring the Alphonse Fletcher University professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University, and Emmy, Du Pont, and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar, and institution builder, Henry Louis Gates, Jr.<\/p>\n