Erie Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister and Liz Cheney will open the Jefferson Educational Society's Global Summit XVI on October 17. Liz Cheney, former U.S. representative for Wyoming and chair of the House Republican Conference, served as the Vice Chair of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. Her integrity in standing by the constitution and confronting then-President Donald Trump for his role in attempting to block the confirmation of the 2020 election and inciting the January 6 insurrection cost her her leadership positions. Her memoir, Oath and Honor, was published in 2023.

Sister Joan is a prolific author and lectures world wide. She writes and speaks on women in church and society, human rights, peace and justice especially in the areas of war and poverty, and religious life and spirituality. She is co-chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women, a UN-sponsored organization creating a worldwide network of women peacemakers.