About Newsmakers

Yesterday

One of the dreams of the late Dean Lesher was to showcase powerful ideals and public discourse on important matters of the day. In 2004, that dream became a reality when the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation donated $1 million to underwrite the very first speaker series at the Lesher Center for the Arts. (Jay Leno was our very first Newsmakers speaker.)

See Past Speakers

Today

The Lesher Foundation continues to enthusiastically produce Newsmakers: Lesher Speaker Series with the support of sponsors that include Diablo Regional Arts Association and KTVU Fox 2. Each year, the Foundation, along with our sponsors and other partners, help select speakers in politics, international affairs, journalism, sports and entertainment to present an array of diverse and engaging topics. (Pictured is former U.S. Representative from Wyoming, Liz Cheney.)

Tomorrow

Our goal is to inspire and inform our audience who we see as warm, engaging and intellectually curious. We thank you for your continued support and look forward to having you attend our series and join in on the conversation. (Pictured is Emmy Award-winning actor, author, producer and director, Henry Winkler.)