Upcoming Speakers
Free Speech Under Fire: Greg Lukianoff on the New Age of Censorship
Thursday, October 8, 2026
6 p.m. | Drinks & Conversation on the Esplanade
7 p.m. | Lecture
On Thursday, October 8 we are proud to be hosting New York Times best-selling author, lawyer, free speech warrior, and someone who has appeared on CNN, Fox News, CBS News, The Today Show and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher—Mr. Greg Lukianoff.
Greg is the CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and has co-authored The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure with Jonathan Haidt, and its follow-up, The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust and Threatens Us All — But There Is a Solution with Rikki Schlott. Most recently, he co-authored The War On Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech — And Why They Fail with Nadine Strossen.
His musings have appeared in the LA Daily Journal, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, New York Post, Los Angeles Times, National Review and, most recently, The Free Press. With antisemitism on the rise and ICE protests proliferating there is no better person/scholar than Greg Lukianoff to help us understand the contours of free speech at a time when it matters most!
With antisemitism on the rise and ICE protests proliferating there is no better person to help us understand the contours of free speech at a time when it matters most! So, let’s talk James Comey’s seashell indictment, Jimmy Kimmel’s FCC battles, ICE marches, on-campus protests, Tessa Vesksler’s lawsuit alleging antisemitism against UCSB and much more with straight-shooting First Amendment purist Greg Lukianoff.
Making Sense Of The Midterm Muddle: An Evening with Mara Liasson
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
6 p.m. | Drinks & Conversation on the Esplanade
7 p.m. | Mara takes the Stage
Spotlight Santa Barbara is proud to present NPR’s National Political Correspondent and FOX contributor, Ms. Mara Liasson. One of America’s most revered political journalists, there is no one better person to dissect and explain the State/Federal elections that will affect us most.
Over the years Ms. Liasson has appeared regularly on PBS’s Washington Week, NPR’s All Things Considered and various FOX programs including Special Report With Bret Baier. Her senior roles across competing News platforms—no easy task—make her the type of straight-shooting honest broker that Spotlight features.
Spotlight is excited to welcome back Pete Peterson who was an absolute “rock star” at our July Panel Discussion, California Problems, Santa Barbara Choices. Pete is the Dean of Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy and past-Director of the bipartisan reform organization California Forward. He is a frequent speaker on Viewpoint Diversity, whose many articles have appeared nationally. With Pete as our Moderator, we can be assured of depth and entertainment.
At Spotlight we seek to “provoke thought and inspire change.” Please join us on our journey as we build a fun, engaged and growing community of folks who care—thank you!
Past Speakers
Dan Walters
CA Politics, Past, Present & Future
February 5, 2026
Dan Walters is the most decorated and widely syndicated columnist in California history. For decades, he has offered his analysis concerning CA’s political, economic, and social trends. For the past eight years his sometimes-controversial insights have been published in CalMatters. His articles have been carried in the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine and he has appeared on CNN, Fox News, and Capital Public Radio. Dan is a provocative political centrist who brings thoughtful insight to each one of his articles. Mr. Walters is also the author or co-author of two books, “The New California: Facing the 21st Century” and “The Third House: Lobbyists, Money and Power in Sacramento.”
California’s Problems, Santa Barbara’s Choices
Thursday, July 23, 2026
The discussion explored solutions to Dan Walters’ “BIG SIX” existential challenges facing California and our community today—including the high cost of living, poverty and homelessness, housing shortages, an uncertain water supply, subpar educational outcomes, and healthcare.
MODERATOR: BILL MACFADYEN, Noozhawk Publisher
Our All-Star Panel
PETER PETERSON is the Dean of Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy and past-Director of the bipartisan reform organization California Forward. He is also the co-creator of the seminar, "Public Engagement: The Vital Leadership Skill in Difficult Times,” whose many articles have appeared nationally. Pete was a candidate for CA’s Secretary of State and is a frequent speaker on “Viewpoint Diversity.” LEE OHANIAN is a Distinguished Professor of Economics at UCLA and serves as Director of Macroeconomic Research. He is an expert on the many problems facing CA today. Lee is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution whose articles have appeared in the San Francisco Chronical, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Newsweek and Forbes. Lee understands Santa Barbara and is a frequent speaker at the SB County Economic Summit. Two-time Fresno Mayor ASHLEY SWEARINGEN inherited a city on the verge of bankruptcy, stabilized its financial position and revitalized it’s downtown by promoting local business. Ashely, a Republican, won re-election with 75% of the vote—just 28% of the city’s 500,000 residents were Republicans. She is the CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation, and serves on numerous boards dedicated to economic growth and civic engagement. Bringing things home is our very own Chamber of Commerce President & CEO KRISTEN MILLER. Ms. Miller serves on various Boards including SBC’s Housing Trust Fund, Visit Santa Barbara and UCSB’s Economic Forecast Project to name just a few. With more than 25 years of experience in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and Goleta, Kristen understands the most pressing public policy issues facing Santa Barbara today.