The Lewisville Talks – City Speaker Series brings national influencers to Lewisville to discuss current events, trends, and ideas that can enrich our lives and create a discussion forum for the future of communities, residents, and community leaders. Past speakers have included New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown, first female private space explorer Anousheh Ansari, and others. 

Upcoming Lewisville Talks Events:

Chad Pregracke
Thursday, June 4, 7:30 p.m.
Huffines Performance Hall
Reserve Free Tickets

The City of Lewisville’s Lewisville Talks series welcomes Chad Pregracke, 2013 CNN Hero of the Year and founder of Living Lands & Waters, for an inspiring conversation on environmental stewardship and the impact of community-driven action.

Chad Pregracke is proof one person can make a difference. Best known for starting out as a young man in East Moline, Illinois wanting a cleaner waterway, Chad has become the champion for the Mississippi River. Growing up on its banks, he worked as a commercial shell diver during his early years, experiencing the river from the bottom up. Sometimes spending 10 hours a day in the depths and current of the pitch black waters, he crawled nearly 150 miles of the river bottom over six years. Chad saw its beauty and was frustrated by the neglect.

At the age of 17, he decided to clean it up. Twenty-eight years later, Chad and his Living Lands & Waters crew have organized and led over 1400 community cleanups on 33 rivers in 23 states and removed over 14 million pounds of garbage. Chad had an idea that evolved into a movement that has helped to restore one of America’s greatest icons, the Mississippi River.

Chad’s story is one of determination, leadership, and the power of individuals to create meaningful change. With humor, energy, and passion, he shares a message that encourages audiences to think big, take action, and work together to make a difference.

This event is part of the Lewisville Talks series, which brings engaging speakers and thought-provoking conversations to the community. This event is free to attend, but ticket reservations are encouraged at lewisvillegrand.com/tix. 

Before the event, attendees are invited to learn about local organizations making an impact on the environment, including Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA), Lewisville 2035, and Keep Lewisville Beautiful.

Past Speakers

Mary Annaïse Heglar: Heglar is known for her essays that dissect and interrogate the climate crisis, drawing heavily on her personal experience as a Black woman with deep roots in the South. 

Brent Gleeson: Gleeson is a Navy SEAL combat veteran, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and acclaimed speaker on topics ranging from leadership and building high-performance teams to culture and organizational transformation.

Tom Luce: Informed by decades of public policy experience at the local, state, and national level, in 2016 Luce founded Texas 2036 amid growing concern that without careful consideration, planning, and decision-making regarding the future, the tremendous opportunities Texas offers may not exist for future generations.

Anousheh Ansari: On September 18, 2006, Ansari captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer. She is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, a technology company working to unleash the power of the Internet to all consumers and dramatically alter and simplify consumer’s digital living experience.

Sandra Brown: Sandra Brown is the author of 71 New York Times bestsellers, including Outfox, Tailspin, Seeing Red, Sting, Mean Streak, Friction, Deadline, and Rainwater.

Donald Norman-Cox: Denton-based writer Donald Norman-Cox is the author of Juneteenth 101: Popular Myths and Forgotten Facts.

John Bramblitt: Denton-based artist who after losing his eyesight, was able to reconnect with the visual world through his art.  John discussed the methods, materials, and techniques that led him from being someone who felt they could never paint again to someone who has had the great fortune of sharing their art with people all over the world.

Dr. Peniel Joseph: As one of our preeminent historians of race and democracy, Dr. Joseph argues that the period since 2008 has marked nothing less than America’s Third Reconstruction. In his book, The Third Reconstruction, Dr. Joseph offers a powerful and personal new interpretation of recent history. The racial reckoning that unfolded in 2020, he argues, marked the climax of a Third Reconstruction: a new struggle for citizenship and dignity for Black Americans, just as momentous as the movements that arose after the Civil War and during the civil rights era.

Javier Avila - The Trouble With My Name: Javier Ávila is a professor of English as well as a poet, novelist, and public speaker. He writes in both English and Spanish, and his work has earned him numerous awards, including his most recent honor as the recipient of the Cultural Arts Award given by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education. In 2015, he was named Pennsylvania’s Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation. This award inspired Javier to take his classroom to the masses, using the power of poetry and storytelling to deliver a powerful message about unity and inclusion. Thus, The Trouble with My Name was born.