07/23/2026
Lake View & Black Hawk Lake, Iowa can be enjoyed all year long! Join us this Fall & Winter for the Lake View Speaker Series!
The Lake View Speakers Series is proud to announce its fourth season of speakers!
Season 4 begins on Saturday, October 31 with oceanographer and explorer Dr. David Gallo. For 30 years, he served as Director of Special Projects at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, helping shape how we view our planet. His skill as a communicator is reflected in his TED Talk, ‘Underwater Astonishments’, which has received nearly 13 million views, making it one of the most-watched TED presentations. In 1987, he joined Robert Ballard's team and has been involved in expeditions to the Titanic, Air France Flight 447, and Ernest Shackleton's Endurance wreck site. As a frequent interviewee of documentaries and news shows, he speaks to the public-at-large about the importance of ocean exploration and our relationship with the sea. Trained as a geologist, he earned his doctorate in marine biology from the University of Rhode Island.
On January 2, our guest is business executive and philanthropist Merrill Eisenhower. His business interests have a wide range across multiple industries, including health care, oil and gas, and aviation. As the great-grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, his dedication to public service has led to a lifelong commitment to philanthropy and community service. He serves on the boards of People to People International, the Eisenhower Foundation, the United States Congressional Award Foundation, and the American Lung Association, among others. He has also served on the National Association of State Aviation Officials and received the FAA's prestigious Impact Award. After earning undergraduate degrees in History and Interpersonal Relations, he completed an MBA with a specialization in international business at Baker University.
Season #4 concludes on April 10 with author and innovation leader Dr. Anthony Paustian. Following an Air Force career, he applied for graduate degrees in business administration and design, building national brands for Rockwell Avionics, Disney, and Miller Brewing. He earned a doctorate in Educational Psychology. He's a contributor to Ad Astra and recently served as chair of the International Space Development Conference in L.A. Author of four books, including ‘A Quarter Million Steps’, which has received seven literary awards and draws inspiration from the epic story of the Apollo Program as a guide to success and goal-setting in everyday life.
Past speakers in the Lake View Speakers Series have included astronaut Capt. Hoot Gibson, Olympian Billy Mills, Pulitzer Prize winner Art Cullen, Iowa Poet Laureate Prof. Debra Marquart, College Football Hall of Fame inductee Chuck Long, adventurer and Mount Everest climber Charlie Wittmack, Miss California and activist Christina Meredith, Iowa PBS's Charity Nebbe, and author Valerie Hemingway.
All events are held on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and are free and open to the public. The Lake View Speakers Series is sponsored by the Lake View Public Library Board of Trustees and Dr. Jon Quinn. Lake View Community Center Lake View & Black Hawk Lake, Iowa
