DAI starts the fall with a new Board of Directors

The Schurman-Gesellschaft e.V. elected a management board for the cultural center

The Schurman-Gesellschaft e.V., the supporting association of the German-American Institute (DAI) Heidelberg, has a new board of directors. The general meeting of the Schurman Society elected Dr. Thomas Keil, Dr. Verena Mandelbaum and Tianyu Yuan for a three-year term of office on July 29, 2025. Together with the Director of the DAI, Dr. Lena Jöhnk, the board will shape the future of the renowned cultural institution in Heidelberg. The new board and the directorate face numerous challenges. Following the generational change at the DAI, new approaches are naturally required. The General Assembly acknowledged with broad approval that the new management has already made significant progress in recent months.

“I am grateful for the trust placed in me and am delighted to be able to help and support Lena Jöhnk and the DAI institution with my experience, for example in the areas of marketing, events and budget management, and to create added value,” emphasizes marketing expert Thomas Keil, who is taking over as Chairman of the Board. “In this spirit of optimism, the question is how we position ourselves by preserving the good and developing the new.”

Tianyu Yuan studied law and founded an AI start-up in Heidelberg. He is particularly attracted by the great potential of the DAI: “The combination of the subject areas of science, politics and literature makes the museum unique. I am looking forward to supporting the DAI’s focus areas, such as AI and society.” Tianyu Yuan is treasurer of the new board. He is looking forward to his involvement: “This can be the honorary position with the greatest reward in terms of enjoyment.”

“I am delighted that we are so well-positioned with the expertise of our new Board colleagues and that Lena Jöhnk is driving the organization forward with such great momentum,” says Verena Mandelbaum. “We have a fantastic program for the autumn with the flagship Geist Heidelberg and a great and diverse range of activities for children and young people.” The pediatrician remains second chairwoman of the board. She also emphasizes the transatlantic aspect of the DAI: “It is more important than ever to maintain and positively shape the German-American dialogue.”

“I would like to express my sincere thanks for the support of the Board of Directors, chaired by Mayor Martina Pfister. Its intensive mediating role has now led the Schurman-Gesellschaft back into calm waters financially after some turbulent years,” emphasizes Lena Jöhnk. I would also like to thank the former Chair of the Board, Anne von Loeben, and the previous Treasurer, Rainer Arens, for their active support, which has carried me through my first months at the DAI. I am very much looking forward to working with the new Board.”

Background
The Schurman-Gesellschaft e. V. is the non-profit association responsible for the DAI cultural center in Sofienstraße and consists of a three-member board and a 14-member administrative board. The Kulturhaus attracts around half a million visitors a year and currently has 22 employees.

Press photo

from left to right: Dr. Lena Jöhnk, Tianyu Yuan, Dr. Verena Mandelbaum, Dr. Thomas Keil