Meet Our Board.
Our team.
The board members of the Indiana Stonewall Democrats work tirelessly to be the voice for our community across the state. We meet once a month to discuss and implement plans to engage voters, recruit LGBTQ+ folk to run for office, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
Katie Doyle (she/her)
President
Katie is a lifelong Hoosier, Indianapolis native and graduate of IUPUI. She has worked on numerous campaigns, including the US Senate campaigns for former Congressman Baron Hill and former Governor Evan Bayh. Katie has been a member of Stonewall Democrats since 2016 and is a finance consultant for Democratic campaigns and organizations.
Keith Potts (he/him)
Vice President, Board Member
Marion County voters in District 2 elected Keith Potts as their Councillor in 2019. Councillor Keith Potts is an arts advocate, having graduated in 2012 from the Boston Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He works with local not-for-profit arts organizations, teaching after-school music classes, directing, and performing with organizations like the Phoenix Theatre, Indy Shakes, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Actors Theatre of Indiana, and Civic Theatre. Potts’ political work has been centered on issue-based campaigns and progressive candidates, with a particular focus on protecting women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and the environment. Potts lives in Nora with his husband, Dr. Bryan Dodd, and their rescue dog, Mak.
Veronica Pejril (she/hers)
Board Member
Veronica Pejril became Indiana's first transgender elected official in 2019, after running a positive-message campaign for Greencastle's City Council that garnered nearly 70% of the vote. Veronica comes to the Indiana Stonewall Democrats board with a lifelong commitment to education. The daughter and the parent of public school teachers, Veronica is an alumna of Princeton's Graduate School. She is an assistant professor in DePauw University's School of Music, where she teaches courses in digital musicianship and provides leadership for the university's instructional technology team. A proud parent of twin sons with Purdue degrees, Veronica is active as a pianist in her church community and around Putnam County's music scene with her band, Lincoln Street. As Secretary for Putnam County's Democratic Party, she is engaged in helping to recruit new candidates for her rural community.
Russ Sipes (he/him)
Treasurer
After serving in the Army, Russ attended IU for a degree in Public and Environmental Policy. While there, he served throughout college on the Board of the Indiana Public Interest Group, beginning his work on progressive policy issues. He spent the last semester as an Intern with the Indiana State Senate, then worked on the Senate staff for another session, before working on several campaigns.
Nicole Bolden (she/her)
Board Member, Former Secretary
The Bloomington City Clerk, Nicole has been actively involved in the Bloomington community for over 20 years. Nicole received both her undergraduate and law degrees at Indiana University in Bloomington.
In 2015, Nicole became the first African American woman elected to city-wide office and the only LGBTQ woman of color to hold elected office in Indiana. In 2019, Nicole was excited to become a graduate member of the Hoosier Women Forward Inaugural class.
Nicole is the proud mother of two daughters, Taegan and Zora. Her mother, Valeri Haughton-Motley, is a Judge in Monroe County, and her father, Frank Motley, is a retired Dean from the Maurer School of Law. Nicole has four siblings and 30 nieces and nephews.
Dana Black (she/her)
Board Member, Former President
A lifelong resident of Indianapolis and loves being a resident of the great state of Indiana. After the introduction of HJR-3 and recent RFRA legislation, I realized change was needed in Indiana and and became a candidate for the Indiana House of Representatives; District 88 in 2016. Although the bid for House Rep fell short, I continue to work with the Indiana Democrat Party as the Deputy Chair for Engagement. From this role I am able to engage the community at large and spread the message that the Democrat Party is here for ordinary people. I also host a weekly radio show called Turn Left on radioNext.tv which features candidates and elected officials who represent Indiana Democratic Party.
Rick Sutton (he/him)
Board Member, Former President
Rick Sutton is former president of Indiana Stonewall Democrats. He has long served in party and campaign positions—currently as a member of the IDP executive Committee (secretary). He is a past executive director of Indiana Equality and he served as organizing president and CEO of Freedom Indiana, the marriage amendment political organization. He’s served two Indiana governors in statewide commissions and was twice elected to serve on a school board. He’s worked closely with national allied organizations including the Human Rights Campaign and Lambda Legal. He’s also active in St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, where he’s a first tenor in the choir. Rick is the proud father of three and grandfather of two. He’s a native of Blackford County and a Life Member of the IU Alumni Association. He and his husband Bobby Owens reside in Indianapolis’s Irvington neighborhood.
Dr. Robert Dion (he/him)
Board Member
Dr. Dion is chair of the Department of Law, Politics, and Society at the University of Evansville. He is a founding board member of the Indiana Stonewall Democrats. For over a dozen years, he has chaired the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Human Relations Commission, and he has twice been selected to serve on the Indiana State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He is faculty adviser to the College Democrats on his campus, a longtime precinct committee-person, and has been a frequent delegate to party conventions. His dissertation focused on the politics of the debate over gays in the military.
Bruce A. Hayes (he/him)
Board Member
Hayes is a political activist, long-term not-for-profit volunteer, project management professional, special event planner, and avid roller coaster enthusiast. "I have voted in every Primary and General Election. Then I started to offer financial support and volunteered to help with canvassing. I see it still is not enough. We need to come together so we can move the needle in the left direction and ensure we do not lose the progress made during my lifetime. I stayed in Indiana to make it a better place. I am a Member, and Board Member of the Currently I hold the office of Allen County Stonewall Democrats. I have been a Democratic Party State Convention Delegate in the 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 conventions and have been a Precinct Committeeman since 2010.
E. Thomasina Marsili (she/her)
Board Member
Thomasina’s life began in rural Spencer County, where at 16 she not only built trails at the Lincoln National Boyhood Memorial but also earned a spot in the trail-blazing movie, A League of Their Own. An activist from the age of 17, her perseverance in fighting for equality and standing for love paid off when she and her wife Janet married in 2011. Although business opportunities pulled Thomasina to Marion County for over 15 years, she realized that in order to make a difference in Indiana, change was needed in rural communities. Relocating to Owen County 7 years ago, Thomasina serves her community as a precinct chair and was the first LGBTQIA candidate to run for Indiana House District 46. She has a degree in Psychology from Marian University, is a small business owner, a nationally registered EMT, and a certified life coach and motivational speaker. It is her passion to bring recognition to the inequities within our rural areas and to give voice to the voiceless.
Kate Sweeney-Bell (she/her)
Board Member
In 2014 Kate was elected Marion County Recorder and this is Kate’s first publicly elected office. As Recorder, she served on a 2015 advisory committee with the Public Records Industry Association to review changes in the mortgage industry and was elected to serve on the 2016 National Association of County Recorders, Elected Officials and Clerks board of directors. Also in 2016, Kate was appointed to the Indianapolis City Market board and elected by her peers as District Vice President of the Indiana Recorder’s Association. In 2017, Kate received the William A. Crawford Public Service Award from the Coalition for Homeless Intervention and Prevention for her work to maintain funding for homeless programs and services through recording fees.
Ali Brown (she/her)
Board Member
Councillor Ali Brown, District 5 of Indianapolis, is a small business owner and nonprofit executive. She has spent a lifetime working to better the lives of those around her from working in HIV/AIDS education, to being one of the leading experts in construction workforce development, to working to allow seniors happily and healthily age in place. She’ll prioritize attaching innovation companies to our city so that we may continue to grow and prosper, she’ll fight to improve our streets and infrastructure, and she’ll work on making childcare more affordable so everyone can participate in our economy. Ali is proudly a resident of both Indy and Lawrence. She is married to Zach Brown. They have one son, Dylan, and a dog named Franklin.
Contact Us
Reach out to us regarding membership, events, or how to sign up to volunteer. Interested in joining the team or a committee? Let us know!
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