WIT welcomes five new members to its board of directors
Washington Improv Theater is thrilled to announce the addition of five new members to its board of directors. Each brings an impressive set of skills and experience that will help WIT advance its mission.
The new board members are:
Lindsay Brewer is an attorney who represents clients in environmental, product safety, human rights, and public policy matters. Lindsay is a senior associate at Covington & Burling LLP. She earned a juris doctor from Yale Law School, a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment, and a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College. Lindsay is an enthusiastic WIT student and patron. She has always had a passion for live performances, including live music, theater, and comedy.
Delal Pektas is a broadcast journalist with a passion for storytelling, community-building, and creative collaboration. As a producer at an international news network, she identifies and books expert voices that help audiences make sense of complex global issues. A proud Kurdish-American with a love for Spanish language and culture, Delal speaks multiple languages and cooks in all of them—usually for a full table of friends and family. Delal is excited to bring her media expertise, cultural perspective, and sense of humor to the WIT board—because the best communities, like the best scenes, are built on trust, listening, and just the right amount of bold choices.
Aakash Shah is a Product Manager for Fannie Mae, where he focuses on risk management technology and analytics to help bring liquidity, stability, and affordability to the U.S. housing market. His career has spanned various strategy, marketing, relationship management, and capital markets roles in mortgage finance. Aakash earned his MBA at Georgetown University, and BBA at GWU. Aakash has been dad-joke-ready since a toddler, but never explored the world of improv comedy until 2018, when his friend and WIT alum, Shravan Amin, pushed him to explore the craft to aid in his professional growth. Aakash found incredible portability with the concept of Yes, And to his work life, enabling him to cultivate a much stronger sense of professional empathy.
Jeff provides strategic communication and planning support to top US national security executives. He strongly believes that great strategy is wasted without great storytelling—the kind that speaks the audience’s language and meets them where they are. Graduating from WIT was a truly moving experience for Jeff, and he looks forward to giving back through his Board service. Everyone should have the opportunity to expand their horizons through a welcoming, inclusive community like WIT—and laugh at themselves while doing so.
Dudley Ward (pictured) is a local real estate advisor known for his deep human approach to his work. He helps people make meaningful decisions about how and where they want to live. Dudley brings a unique blend of leadership, creativity, and lived experience to the WIT board. A former U.S. Marine and Secret Service agent, he’s well-versed in trust, adaptability, and collaboration—core elements of improv. Dudley came to WIT unexpectedly, signing up for an improv class at a moment when he needed something light, honest, and creative. He never anticipated how deeply it would impact his life. The community, the confidence, the sense of play—it all became something he kept returning to.
We would like to thank our departing board members—Matt Alexander, Carolyn Ellison, Aimee Imundo, Clare Mulligan, Stacey Pelika, Nikki Rogers, Michael Sanchez, Macey Schiff—for their service to WIT.
Read more about our board members here.