Cheney, Chittister top Global Summit XVI Lineup

Nick Warren

Liz Cheney and Sister Joan Chittister will be the first to kick off the Jefferson Educational Society's (JES) Global Summit XVI. The lineup, announced Thursday, will touch on several aspects of modern democracy.

Cheney, former U.S. representative for Wyoming's at-large congressional district and chair of the House Republican Conference, was booted from her position after she chose to stand by the Constitution instead of the majority of her party after the 2020 election. She publicly called for then-President Donald Trump to support a peaceful transfer of power and respect the court's ruling that current President Joe Biden was the election winner.

After the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol in 2021, she voted to impeach Trump and alleged that he summoned and assembled the mob. Soon after, she was stripped of her leadership position in the GOP.

Cheney will be in conversation with Erie's Chittister, a Benedictine Sisters theologian, author, and speaker on unity and equality.

Chittister is known for her advocacy surrounding equal rights, especially for those who have been imprisoned and women.

Following that conversation on Oct. 17, sportscaster, veteran journalist, actor, author, and podcaster Stephen A. Smith will discuss the future of sports and his bestselling memoir "Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes" on Oct. 20.

"We are thrilled to continue developing the Global Summit into one of the best conferences in the country," JES President Dr. Ferki Ferati said in a statement on Thursday. "We are able to do that because of the tremendous support of the Erie community and our many sponsors, and the desire of these bright minds to want to be in Erie with our engaged, thoughtful, and curious audiences."

The Global Summit will also feature historian and author Heather Cox Richardson on Oct. 29. She will be in conversation with Tom Nichols, a staff writer at The Atlantic and author of The Death of Expertise.

JES is partnering again with Gannon University to host events on the college's campus, including the Gannon Reads event, featuring Lara Schwartz this year — professor in the School of Public Affairs at American University, and author of Try to Love the Questions.

On Nov. 4, the series continues with Michael Strain, director of Economic Policy Studies and the Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Politic Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), who will discuss his book, The American Dream Is Not Dead (But Populism Might Kill It).

Other topics will include leadership, global growth and innovation, and immigration.

On Monday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day, Maj. Gen. Ed Bolton, Jr. (Ret.), the chief of staff of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and 2023 recipient of the Thomas B. Hagen Dignitas Award, returns to the Global Summit to lead a panel discussion on Leading a Diverse Workforce Today and Tomorrow with high-ranking officials from the FAA and Aerospace Corp., and more. 

Friday, Nov. 15, the JES will host one of the nation's most prominent scholars, Eddie Glaude, Jr. An author, political commentator, public intellectual, and passionate educator, Glaude examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. He will discuss his most recent book, We Are The Leaders We Have Been Looking For.

Erie-native Steve Scully returns as chair to the Summit and will lead a "Post-Election Media Panel" featuring Washington insiders weighing in on the 2024 election. Scully, host of The Briefing on SiriusXM, has interviewed every U.S. President since Gerald Ford.

Born in Erie in 1943, Frederick "Fred" Biletnikoff, nicknamed "Scarecrow," is the recipient of this year's Thomas B. Hagen Dignitas Award. Biletnikoff is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988) and College Football Hall of Fame (1991) and will speak on his life and legacy.

The Global Summit is hosted each year by the Jefferson in cooperation with several major sponsors, including Erie Insurance, and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), among many others.

Tickets and details for all the events can be found at 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 through the Jefferson.

Event locations and further details will continue to be added in the coming weeks on the website.