NBC News’ Lester Holt will deliver the keynote speech at the Better Business Bureau’s 100th anniversary celebration in Chicago next spring, the organization announced Tuesday.
The BBB of Chicago and Northern Illinois will host their centennial celebration on April 22, 2026, marking 100 years to the day the organization was founded in 1926.
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“It is a true honor to welcome Lester Holt as our Centennial keynote speaker. His deep roots in Chicago and unwavering commitment to trust and integrity align perfectly with the BBB’s core values,” said Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau. “As one of the most respected journalists in the nation, Lester has brought global stories into the homes of millions, and we are proud to welcome him back to the city he once called home.”
Holt first joined NBC in 2000 and has served as the principal anchor of “Dateline NBC” since September 2011.
In his tenure with NBC, Holt conducted numerous interviews with world leaders, CEOs and other notable public figures and was selected to moderate the first presidential debate of 2016. He’s covered dozens of natural disasters and was embedded with the U.S. forces reporting on the ongoing military operations in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2012.
After a decade the anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News,” Holt announced in February that he would be stepping down at the start of the past summer.
His work has earned him numerous awards, including multiple Emmy Awards, the National Press Club Fourth Estate award, the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement award, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Quinnipiac University’s Fred Friendly First Amendment Award, and more.
Outside of his work for NBC, Holt kept the people of Chicago informed as an anchor for WBBM for 13 years.
He is also NBC Chicago anchor Stefan Holt’s father.
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