Shadwell Speaker Series
Designed to attract to the University world-renowned authors, political figures, and leaders of industry, the Shadwell Speaker Series was established in 2014 and has become a draw not only for UVA students and faculty, but also for the broader Charlottesville community.
On Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 6 pm, the Jefferson Scholars Foundation will present the 11th Annual Shadwell Speaker Series featuring David Brooks. Brooks will deliver a talk on his bestselling book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.
About David Brooks
David Brooks is a bestselling author, New York Times op-ed columnist, and recurring commentator on PBS NewsHour. A keen observer of the American way of life and a savvy analyst of present-day politics and foreign affairs, Brooks has written six books that explore and explain humanity and the way we live. With intellectual curiosity and emotional wisdom, Brooks underscores the value of community and the importance of nourishing both the inner self and the social self in our journeys to live fulfilling lives.
About the book
How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, debuted on the New York Times and Amazon bestseller lists and has maintained spots on both for many weeks. Brooks makes the case that at the center of any healthy and thriving business, organization, community, or nation is the crucial skill of being able to see and value other people. Written to speak to audiences of all kinds, How to Know a Person is his attempt to repair America’s torn social fabric by giving us the tools we need to move beyond division and polarization and connect with others on an innately human level.
Previous Shadwell Speakers
2023
UVA alumna and New York Times bestselling author Georgia Hunter spoke about her book, We Were the Lucky Ones, which was optioned by Hulu as a limited series.
Fall 2022
Through captivating storytelling, drawn from her award-winning book The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another, science evangelist Ainissa Ramirez shared the unexpected ways that technology has shaped the human experience.
Spring 2022
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch discussed his landmark trilogy on the civil rights era, America in the King Years.
2021
Foundation Professor and healthcare expert Vivian Riefberg led a candid discussion with Dr. Francis Collins (Col ‘70), director of the National Institutes of Health, about COVID-19 and the challenges facing today’s global healthcare industry.
2020
Combat veteran, social entrepreneur, bestselling author, and then-CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation Wes Moore examined poverty in the U.S. and the line between success and failure across our communities.
2019
Foreign policy expert Anne Marie Slaughter discussed the current geopolitical landscape with a talk entitled “Global Hotspots & Blind Spots.”
2018
Jonathan Haidt, professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business and New York Times bestselling author of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, discussed the current political climate in the U.S. with a talk entitled “America’s Escalating Outrage: Why is it Happening and How Can We Reverse It?”
2017
Evan Osnos, chief Washington correspondent for The New Yorker, addressed the presidential campaign and the political landscape of the 2016 election in a talk entitled “Bridging the Divide: Passions, Parties, and America Beyond 2016.”
2016
Andrew Ross Sorkin, a New York Times financial columnist, co-host of CNBC’s Squawk Box, and national bestselling author of Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System–and Themselves, discussed the global economy and what to expect in the coming years.
2015
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, delivered a talk on the importance of a politically engaged public.
About Shadwell Society
With an eye toward future leadership, the Jefferson Scholars Foundation created the Shadwell Society in 2012. This group of young UVA alumni convenes in Charlottesville every year to determine how best to serve the Foundation. One of the ways the Shadwell Society answers the call is by underwriting the Shadwell Speaker Series. This annual speaker series, now in its tenth year, attracts to the University world-renowned authors, political figures, and leaders of industry.
2025-26 Shadwell Society Members
Megan E. Kingsley (Com ‘16), Chair
Associate
New Mountain Capital, LLC
New York, NY
Brett Andersen (Col ‘14)
Head of Operations
Bullish Inc
Brooklyn, NY
Katherine E. Baskind (Col ‘05)
Origination Manager
Harris Williams & Co.
Richmond, VA
Thomas G. Bell III, Chair (Col ‘12, GSBA ‘20)
Associate Vice President
Bessemer Trust
Atlanta, GA
Sarahbeth Brecht (Col ‘16)
Associate, Capital Partnering
General Atlantic Service Corp.
New York, NY
Lacy Quarles Briney (Col ‘08)
Richmond, VA
Keeling Brown (Col ‘15)
Manager, Corporate Development & Strategy
Brown-Forman Beverage Co.
Louisville, KY
Campbell P. Craig (GSBA ‘13)
Managing Director and Partner
The Boston Consulting Group Inc.
Houston, TX
Ryan W. Eckert (Col ‘16)
Senior Associate
Artemis Real Estate Partners
Robert A. Faith Jr. (Col ‘17)
Greystar Real Estate Partners
Mount Pleasant, SC
Isabelle D. Fitzgerald (Col ‘19)
Vice President, Capital Markets
Alpine Investors
New York, NY
Leslie S. Golden (Col ‘04)
Alexandria, VA
William R. Golden III (Col ‘04, Law ‘08)
Partner
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Alexandria, VA
Lauren Grammer (Engr ‘04)
Owner & Founder
Goods Grammer
Richmond, VA
Ryan K. Grammer (Engr ‘04)
Senior Managing Director, Debt Platform
Silicon Valley Bank
Richmond, VA
John H. Grayson III (Com ‘16)
Associate
Primus Capital
Atlanta, GA
Wake M. Hamilton (Col ‘15)
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Tectonic
Charlotte, NC
Nicholas A. Harris (Col ‘04)
Partner
Cassaday & Co. Inc.
Alexandria, VA
Jessica Hebenstreit (Col ‘12)
Design Assistant
Ken Fulk Inc.
Kansas City, MO
Martin J. Ho (Col ‘00)
Founder & Owner
Traceable Change
Glen Allen, VA
Meghan W. Ho (Col ‘02)
Managing Director
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.
Glen Allen, VA
Paul L. Hudson III (Com ‘03)
Managing Director, Hedge Fund Group
Park Hill- PJT Advisors
Norwalk, CT
Herbert Klotz (Col ‘16)
Director, Development
Greystar
Palm Beach, FL
Daniel A. Lantz (Col ‘13, GSBA ‘20)
Engagement Manager
McKinsey & Company
Durham, NC
Robert W. Leachman (Col ‘16)
Senior Associate
Cirrus Real Estate Partners
New York, NY
Byrd S. Leavell III (Col ‘00)
Partner
United Talent Agency
Bronxville, NY
Sophie E. Levin (Col ‘25)
Los Angeles, CA
C. Malcolm Little IV (Com ‘05)
Chevy Chase, MD
Andrew M. Magee (Col ‘13)
Associate
White & Case LLP
Indianapolis, IN
Wesley H. McCluney (Col ‘98)
Managing Member - TAW Sports
New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc.
Birmingham, AL
Charles S. McDaniel (Col ‘15)
Sr. Director, Logistics Services
Hilldrup Companies
Washington, DC
Kacey H. McDaniel (Col ‘15)
Associate
Hogan Lovells LLP
Washington, DC
Elizabeth T. Michler (Col ‘16)
Senior Software Developer
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)
New York, NY
Charles M. Mitchell (Com ‘11)
Head of Corporate Development
Brevan Howard
David A. Platter (Col ‘10)
Managing Director
Capital Square
Old Greenwich, CT
Kyle W. Reeves (Com ‘17)
Associate
Bessemer Investors
Pamela A. Richardson-Greenfield (Col ‘96)
Assistant Professor
Clark Atlanta University
Marietta, GA
D. Peter Schnuck (Com ‘17)
Senior Associate
Sunrise Strategic Partners
Denver, CO
Mark J. Styslinger Jr. (Col ‘16, GSBA ‘21)
Associate
Altec Inc.
Birmingham, AL
Corinne Davenport Thomas (Com ‘17)
Associate
Kelso & Co.
New York, NY
Jacob S. Ulrich III (Col ‘13)
VP - Fundraising & Investor Relations
B Capital Group
New York, NY
Landon R. Wyatt IV (Col ‘13)
Principal
Grenaco Partners LLC
Charlotte, NC
