The popular Keynote Speaker Series returns this summer with 10 guests coming to Lakeside to discuss interesting topics in their fields. All lectures are in Hoover Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted.
Kaira Rouda
Thursday, June 13 — Rouda is an award-winning USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling contemporary fiction author. Her first book, Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, led to a national speaking tour. Her novel Best Day Ever is set in Lakeside. She’s working on her 12th novel.
Robert P. Jones
Thursday, June 20 — Jones is President and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). He is a bestselling and award-winning author. His latest book, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future, was released in September 2023. Jones writes regularly on politics, culture and religion for The Atlantic, TIME and Religion News Service. He is frequently featured on CNN, MSNBC and NPR.
Keynote Concert: ‘Sean of the South’ with special guest Bobby Horton
Thursday, June 27 — More than a keynote lecture, Sean of the South will join Bobby Horton on the stage of Hoover Auditorium for an engaging, entertaining and educational show. Sean Dietrich is a columnist, novelist and stand-up storyteller known for his commentary on life in the American South. He has written 15 books and his columns have appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country. Dietrich is the creator of the “Sean of the South” podcast. Horton is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and music historian. He has also produced and performed music scores for 16 PBS films, two films for the A&E network and 21 films for The National Park Service.
Roy Bridges Jr.
Monday, July 1 — Bridges is an American pilot, engineer and retired U.S. Air Force Officer. He is also a NASA astronaut and the former Director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center & Langley Research Center.
Justice Maureen O’Connor
Tuesday, July 2, 10:30 a.m. — O’Connor is the first woman to lead the Ohio Supreme Court and the longest-serving woman elected statewide in Ohio’s history.
Keynote Concert: Alexander Star & the Golden People
Thursday, July 11 — This Emmy-nominated songwriter, performer and impact activist has appeared on national TV, collaborated with the United Nations and toured internationally. Star, combined with the incredible musicianship of the Golden People, creates a five-piece band that includes vocals, lead guitar, keyboard, drums and bass. Star’s performance at Lakeside is part message and part music, what the band refers to as a “Keynote Concert” – programs that uplift, inspire and energize. This concert is supported by Visit Lauderdale.
Susan King
Thursday, July 18 — King is the former Dean of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism & Media. She began her Emmy-winning news career in local television and went on to work for legendary CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite, report for ABC, NBC and CNN, and host shows on NPR. She is a 2022 inductee into the NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame.
Anson Williams
Thursday, July 25 — Williams is best known for his Golden Globe-nominated role as “Potsie” on the iconic sitcom, “Happy Days.” Williams has been an award-winning television director and writer, directing over 300 hours of television, including “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” “Lizzie Maguire,” “Melrose Place,” “Charmed,” “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Xena: Warrior Princess.”
Nick McCullough
Tuesday, July 30, 8 p.m. — McCullough is an author, award-winning garden designer and owner of McCullough’s Landscape & Nursery in New Albany, Ohio. Follow his journey across the country and take a closer look at gardens that McCullough captured on his quest to celebrate the American garden in his first book American Roots, co-authored with his wife, Allison, and Teresa Woodard.
Debra Knapke
Thursday, Aug. 15 — Knapke is a horticulturalist, author and owner of The Garden Sage. She designed many places in the Columbus area, including the Heritage Garden at the Governor’s Residence and the Wetlands Project at Sharon Meadows Park.
