Indiana Humanities announces new board members 

Indiana Humanities, a statewide nonprofit that encourages Hoosiers to think, read and talk, has added three board members and elected a new executive committee. 

The new board members are: 

• Del Doughty, Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville 

• Sara Ayoubi, chief communications officer, Indianapolis City-County Council, Indianapolis 

• Jonathan Weinzapfel, general counsel, Indianapolis Airport Authority, Indianapolis 

“Indiana Humanities is thrilled to welcome these creative and impactful leaders onto the board,” said Tiffany Tolbert, chair of the Indiana Humanities board of directors. “As we step into a new year with a fresh strategic plan ready to take off, Del, Sara, and Jonathan will be a vital part of our efforts to share the humanities with all Hoosiers.” 

In addition to these members, Indiana Humanities has also announced a new slate of officers. Committee leadership includes: 

• Chair: Tiffany Tolbert, senior director for preservation, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Hobart 

• Chair Elect: Katie Glick, practice group director, Ice Miller LLP, Indianapolis  

• Secretary: Cheryl Taylor, retired president and CEO, Foellinger Foundation, Fort Wayne 

• Treasurer: Mark Maassel, retired president, Indiana Energy Association, Valparaiso 

• Immediate Past Chair: Chris Gahl, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Visit Indy, Indianapolis 

Learn more about the new Indiana Humanities’ board members below: 

Del Doughty, Ph.D. 

Del Doughty presently serves as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of English at the University of Southern Indiana. He has oversight of more than 30 academic degree programs as well as several arts and cultural programs, which include an art gallery, a lecture series, a radio and television station, a theatre, and a national literary magazine, The Southern Indiana Review. He also serves as a board member for Historic New Harmony and the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Foundation. Prior to taking his position at USI, he held similar roles at Texas A&M University – Texarkana and Huntington University. His poetry collection, Flow (Red Moon Press, 2004), was funded by the Indiana Arts Commission.   

Sara Ayoubi 

Sara (Hindi) Ayoubi was born in Jordan but has spent most of her life living in Central Indiana with her parents, three brothers and sister. She has a Masters of Public Affairs from Indiana University Indianapolis. She currently serves as the chief communications officer for the Indianapolis City-County Council. Previously, she served the refugee community in Indianapolis for seven years at Exodus Refugee Immigration, a nonprofit in Indianapolis dedicated to the protection of human rights by serving the resettlement needs of refugees and other displaced people fleeing persecution. She is a member of Class 4 for Hoosier Women Forward, and Class X of Indy Hub’s 1828 Leadership Project. She also serves on the boards of directors for the ACLU of Indiana and Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network. 

Jonathan Weinzapfel 

Jonathan Weinzapfel joined the Indianapolis Airport Authority as general counsel in 2022. Prior to joining the IAA, he served in leadership positions as interim CEO of Indiana United Ways, Chancellor of the Ivy Tech Community College Evansville Campus, Mayor of the City of Evansville, and Indiana State Representative in District 76. He has also practiced law in Evansville and Indianapolis over the past 24 years, focusing largely on economic development, municipal law, and public policy. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Indiana University in Bloomington, his Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University, and his Juris Doctor from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. He and his wife Patricia have three adult children and a pandemic rescue dog.