Every year, the Face to Face Speaker Forum grows, bringing in world-class names to Wake Forest and the broader Winston-Salem community. At the end of the 2024-25 season, the new program was announced. The speakers for the 2025-26 season are Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Mitt Romney, Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster and Cynthia Erivo.
In 2020, the Office of the President launched Face to Face, encouraging unifying conversations and intellectual experiences. Each season, the events cover political affairs, social justice and global issues, arts and culture, innovation and business and more. The five speakers fit into one or more of these categories.
“I’m so pleased and honored to be a part of this program and for it to really deliver on the mission that was set out in its creation— to bring a series with world-class names to the greater community of Winston-Salem and Wake Forest campus, to catalyze unifying conversations in our community,” Executive Director of Face to Face Sue Henderson said.
Starting the season, Face to Face will welcome businessman and former basketball player Earvin “Magic” Johnson in September at LJVM Coliseum. Johnson plays a prominent role in the sports world as owner of the Washington Commanders and co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks, Los Angeles Football Club and eSports franchise Team Liquid.
The second speaker of the season is Mitt Romney, former Republican presidential nominee, U.S. senator, Governor of Massachusetts and businessman.
According to the pamphlet given after John Legend’s Face to Face event on April 8, Romney offers insights into leadership, policy and America’s most pressing challenges. He played a key role in historic bipartisan legislation on improving the nation’s physical infrastructure, emergency COVID relief, marriage equality with religious liberty protections and gun safety.
In early 2026, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster will take the stage in Wait Chapel. McMaster was a national security advisor from 2017 to 2018 and served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for 34 years. He is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Distinguished University Fellow at Arizona State University and lecturer at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. Additionally, he has authored three New York Times bestselling books and has published scores of essays, articles and book reviews on leadership, history and the future of warfare in many publications.
The season will conclude with three-time Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo. The actress, who stars as Elphaba in the film adaptation of “Wicked,” will speak at LJVM Coliseum. She captivates audiences while serving as a fearless voice for women and people of color and setting new standards for the arts.
Students in attendance at Legend’s event were ecstatic about next season’s lineup. Freshman Winston Miller said he is looking forward to attending more Face to Face events during the rest of his time attending Wake Forest.
“The choir got to see the list early during an afternoon rehearsal, and our jaws were on the floor when Cynthia Erivo was announced,” Miller said. “I’m most excited to listen to General McMaster. His background is a fascinating history of service to our country.”
“When they announced the names, I was honestly very shocked because they got some very high profile individuals,” said senior Jenna Mcclelland. “It’s cool to attend a university that is willing to use so many of their resources to expose its students to societal leaders that possess strong leadership, virtuous character and purpose.”
The Face to Face speaker series continues to grow each year, bringing open conversation to Winston- Salem and the broader Triad. Henderson said she hopes the series will sustain its impact on the community.
“We’re approaching a milestone year, season five,” Henderson said. “I want it to be sustainable and to continue to deliver on our value proposition, to connect our campus and the surrounding community with these world-renowned voices of influence and change.”
