James DeCamp
For over a decade, the New Albany Community Foundation has created a space for community conversations, bringing together neighbors, peers, celebrities and experts with the sole intention of discussing society’s most pressing issues.
Now moving into its 14th season, the series this year features five lectures across a variety of topics with 13 speakers and moderators.
Starting with security
James DeCamp
Pictured from last year's national security discussion: Craig Mohre, Secretary Mike Pompeo, Lt. General H.R. McMaster and Jim Sciutto
The Lecture Series strives to drive conversations that are timely and important to the community, says Craig Mohre, president of the New Albany Community Foundation, which coordinates the series.
The season opens Sept. 15 with a discussion about national security with retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, a former director of the CIA, and Marie Yovanovitch, a former ambassador to Ukraine, moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Bret Stephens.
“With national security, we’re intentional about trying to pair the national defense and intelligence side with someone who makes policy,” says Mohre.
Since his previous appearance, Petraeus has taught courses in international relations at Yale University and co-authored a book, Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine, in 2023.
In addition to Ukraine, Yovanovitch has served as ambassador to Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. Today, she is a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Stephens’ nearly 30-year career as a columnist, editor and contributor has included positions at media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Jerusalem Post, NBC News and SAPIR. In 2013, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for his Wall Street Journal column on foreign and domestic policy.
James DeCamp
Robin Roberts spoke at the series in 2025.
Season overview
Following the lecture on national defense, the season breaks for the Foundation’s annual Remarkable Evening benefit in November before picking back up in January. Filling out the rest of this year’s schedule are:
- Jan. 28: America’s 250th featuring historians Annette Gordon-Reed, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Mark Updegrove
- Feb. 24: Civil discourse and debate featuring former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and former South Carolina Rep. Bakari Sellers, moderated by award-winning BBC journalist Katty Kay
- March 3: Health and well-being featuring author and Harvard professor Arthur Brooks and Pelotonia Vice Chair and Orli Founder Doug Ulman
- April 20: Economy featuring author and Financial Times Associate Editor Rana Foroohar and Andrew Ross Sorkin, a financial columnist for The New York Times, co-anchor of CNBC’s Squawk Box and founder of DealBook
Looking forward
James DeCamp
As the foundation lays the plans for the 2027-28 season, it remains committed to its mission while looking to build on its successes.
“I feel very confident in saying we have one of the top lecture series in the country, but we have bigger goals for it,” says Mohre.
Mohre hopes to endow the Lecture Series and expand it so speakers could potentially stay in New Albany longer, making it possible to offer further community connections and discussions.
Abby Van Voorhis is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
