speaker series
John T. Vucurevich Foundation hosts an annual Speaker Series that highlights national and international speakers who all have a vision for the future, promote understanding and awareness in the world, and who may be an inspiration to the people of Rapid City and the surrounding area.
The Foundation selects speakers of national and international reputation, who have made significant contributions in their respective fields to come to Rapid City to share their ideas.
Ticket sales cover only a small portion of the cost of these events. The balance is paid for by the John T. Vucurevich Foundation and is a gift to the people of this community.
2023 Speaker

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
September 25, 2023
As Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state and Liberia’s first female president, she is credited with achieving dramatic economic, social, and political change, culminating in Liberia’s first peaceful and democratic transfer of power in 73 years.
During 15 years of brutal civil war, the women of Liberia watched helplessly as children died of hunger. Others saw their children kidnapped, drugged, and forced to become child soldiers. Of the 1.5 million women who survived the war, more than 70% had been raped. Many witnessed acts of violence so heinous, they were traumatized for years to come.
In 2005, two years after the conflict ended, they put their hopes into a unified rallying cry:” Vote for Woman!” Their woman was Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, once an abused wife, who had risen to become a Harvard-trained economist, finance minister, imprisoned political dissident and influential World Bank economist and U.N. development expert. The story of how these legions of “market women,” who toiled in the fields and market stalls in order to send their children to school, organized to elect Africa’s first female president is a story of empowerment, hope and the power of the human spirit. It is also the story of one of the world’s most remarkable women, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whose inspirational leadership healed a shattered nation and earned the Nobel Prize for Peace.
Peace Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won international acclaim for leading Liberia through the Ebola Crisis and through reconciliation and recovery following her nation’s decade-long civil war.
President Sirleaf was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2011 for her achievements as a global leader for women’s empowerment. She is also the recipient of The Presidential Medal of Freedom—the United States’ highest civilian award—for her personal courage and unwavering commitment to expanding freedom and improving the lives of Africans.
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Past Speakers
2023
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
President of Liberia
(2006-2018)
2022
Mike Massimino & Garrett Reisman
An Evening With Two Funny Astronauts
2019
Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D.
Oncologist, cancer researcher and Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer
2018
JB Straubel
Co-Founder of Tesla
2017
David Cameron
British Prime Minister
(2010-2016)
2016
Itzhak Perlman
Virtuoso of the Violin
2015
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and host of Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey
2014
David Brooks
New York Times Columnist and Author
2013
Steve Wozniak
Co-Founder of Apple, Inc.
2012
Robert Gates
Former Secretary of Defense
2009
Steve Levitt & Stephen Dubner
Best-Selling Authors of Freakonomics
2010
Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Legendary Duke Basketball Coach
2008
Gen. Tommy Franks, USA (Ret.)
Former Commander of U.S. Central Command
2007
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author & Presidential Historian
2006
John Walsh
Host of America’s Most Wanted
2005
Dr. Sylvia Earle
Marine Biologist
2004
Dave Barry
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist
2003
Benazir Bhutto
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan
2002
Ehud Barak
Former Prime Minister of Israel
2001
Dr. Beck Weathers
Mt. Everest Survivor
2000
Dr. James Watson
Scientist & Nobel Prize Winner
1999
Carol Burnett
Comedian
1998
Colin Powell
Former U.S. Secretary of State
F.W. de Klerk
Former President of South Africa
1997
Dr. Jane Goodall, PhD, CBE
Primatologist
1996
Sandra Day O’Connor
Former Supreme Court Justice
1995
Jeane Kirkpatrick
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Dr. Bernie Siegel
Physician, Author
1994
Margaret Thatcher
Former Prime Minister of Britain
1993
Carl Sagan
American Astronomer

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
President of Liberia (2006-2018)

Mike Massimino & Garrett Reisman
An Evening With Two Funny Astronauts

Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D.,
Oncologist, cancer researcher and Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer

JB Straubel
Co-Founder of Tesla

David Cameron
British Prime Minister (2010-2016)

Itzhak Perlman
Virtuoso of the Violin

Neil deGrasse Tyson
Astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and host of Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey

David Brooks
New York Times Columnist and Author

Steve Wozniak
Co-Founder of Apple, Inc.

Robert Gates
Former Secretary of Defense

Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Legendary Duke Basketball Coach

Steve Levitt & Stephen Dubner
Best-Selling Authors of Freakonomics

Gen. Tommy Franks, USA (Ret.)
Former Commander of U.S. Central Command

Doris Kearns Goodwin
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author & Presidential Historian

John Walsh
Host of America’s Most Wanted

Dr. Sylvia Earle
Marine Biologist

Dave Barry
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist

Benazir Bhutto
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan

Ehud Barak
Former Prime Minister of Israel

Dr. Beck Weathers
Mt. Everest Survivor

Dr. James Watson
Scientist & Nobel Prize Winner

Carol Burnett
Comedian

Colin Powell
Former U.S. Secretary of State

F.W. de Klerk
Former President of South Africa

Dr. Jane Goodall, PhD, CBE
Primatologist

Sandra Day O’Connor
Former Supreme Court Justice

Jeane Kirkpatrick
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

Dr. Bernie Siegel
Physician, Author

Margaret Thatcher
Former Prime Minister of Britain

Carl Sagan
American Astronomer