Executive Overview
MINNEAPOLIS — On September 25, 2026, VocalEssence, one of Minnesota’s premier non-profit arts institutions, announced a significant expansion of its governing body with the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors. The incoming cohort brings a sophisticated combination of corporate executive leadership, human resources acumen, high-growth marketing, philanthropic strategy, and public-sector arts governance to the 58-year-old choral music organization.
The newly appointed board members are Sooki Jalali, Harry Miller, Bunny Robinson, Carolyn Sleeth, Sunita Vongharath-Evenson, and Karen Voracek.
As non-profit performing arts organizations across North America navigate shifting donor demographics, evolving audience engagement models, and persistent economic pressures, the additions to the VocalEssence Board of Directors reflect an intentional effort to fortify institutional governance. Board members at VocalEssence serve dual functions: acting as key ambassadors within the Twin Cities metropolitan area and beyond, while maintaining fiduciary responsibility, strategic oversight, and financial stewardship over the organization’s multi-faceted performance and educational programming.
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| VOCALESSENCE BOARD APPOINTMENTS (2026) |
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| Appointee | Key Expertise & Background |
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| Sooki Jalali | Business Consulting (MEDA), Entrepreneurship, Wellness |
| Harry Miller | Strategy, Small Business Mentorship (SCORE), Growth |
| Bunny Robinson | Executive Search (RRA), HR (Navigate Forward), Arts |
| | Governance (NEA, MN State Arts Board) |
| Carolyn Sleeth | MedTech Executive (Insulet, Medtronic), Commercial Ops |
| Sunita Vongharath-Evenson| HR Executive Leadership, Organizational Development |
| Karen Voracek | VP at Thrivent Charitable, Marketing, Philanthropy |
+--------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------+Strategic Context and Organizational Chronology
Founded in 1969 by Artistic Director Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence has expanded over nearly six decades from a local choral ensemble into a nationally recognized arts organization. The organization encompasses multiple performing groups—including the VocalEssence Chorus, the Ensemble Singers, and youth ensembles—alongside community education initiatives such as WITNESS, which celebrates the contributions of African American creators, and Cantare!, which brings Latin American choral traditions into local classrooms.
1969 2000s 2020s 2026
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| | | |
Founded by Programmatic Post-Pandemic Board Expansion
Philip Brunelle Expansion Audience & Fiscal 6 New Directors
(58-Yr Legacy) (WITNESS, Cantare!) Restructuring AppointedThe governance transition comes at a critical juncture for regional arts institutions. The period following the 2020–2023 pandemic recovery cycle forced non-profits to reassess revenue models, balance earned income against philanthropic contributions, and rebuild audience bases. By selecting leaders from healthcare, finance, executive recruitment, and small business consultancy, VocalEssence is positioning itself to address the complex operational demands of the mid-2020s arts ecosystem.
Supporting Context & Director Profiles
The six new directors bring a wide range of skill sets aligned with VocalEssence’s strategic goals:
1. Sooki Jalali
Sooki Jalali brings a background in entrepreneurship, minority business development, and community activism to the board. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Jalali immigrated to Minnesota as a teenager and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Business from the University of Minnesota. She has launched three enterprises across the health, wellness, and business development sectors.
Jalali currently serves as a Business Consultant at the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), where she advises minority business owners on operational scaling, capital access, and strategic expansion. Her civic engagement includes work with the Ebenezer Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Hunger Solutions, and the Alliance for a New Humanity. A certified yoga instructor under Dr. Deepak Chopra, Jalali was previously nominated for the Man & Woman of the Year fundraising campaign in 2017. Her multi-ethnic family background—raising children fluent in both Farsi and Korean—complements VocalEssence’s emphasis on global cultural exchange through music.
2. Harry Miller
With over 40 years of professional experience in organizational strategy and business development, Harry Miller provides deep expertise in enterprise growth and strategic partnerships. Miller has spent much of his recent career advising small business owners and non-profit leaders through SCORE Twin Cities, where he serves as an active mentor and
volunteer.
At SCORE, Miller has led initiatives focused on fundraising, board governance, and volunteer leadership recruitment. His career has centered on guiding organizations through structural transitions, establishing leadership development pipelines, and establishing public-private partnerships. His appointment addresses VocalEssence’s need for continuous strategy evaluation and sustainable operational scaling.
3. Bunny Robinson
Bunny Robinson joins the board with a long career in human resources, executive recruitment, and public arts policy. Robinson is an executive consultant with Navigate Forward—a boutique firm specializing in C-suite career transitions—and serves as principal consultant at Robinson-Robinson & Associates (RRA), a retained executive search firm focused on building diverse candidate slates for corporate and non-profit leadership roles.
Robinson’s experience in arts governance includes past service on the Minnesota State Arts Board, the board of Arts Midwest, and the State Programs Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Washington, D.C. Additionally, her non-profit background encompasses board roles with United Way Minneapolis, the Conflict Resolution Center, Missions Inc. Programs, and the Women’s Association of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities.
A contract mediator for the Minnesota Department of Education and a former election judge of 20 years, Robinson holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) from St. Catherine University in St. Paul.
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| BUNNY ROBINSON: GOVERNANCE MATRIX |
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| Public Sector Arts Policy | National Endowment for the Arts (NEA Panel) |
| Regional Grantmaking & Oversight | Minnesota State Arts Board, Arts Midwest |
| Executive Talent Acquisition | Robinson-Robinson & Assoc., Navigate Forward |
| Civic & Educational Service | MN Dept of Education (Mediator), United Way |
+------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+4. Carolyn Sleeth
Carolyn Sleeth brings top-tier corporate commercial experience to VocalEssence. A medical device executive with over two decades of industry experience, Sleeth most recently served as Senior Vice President and U.S. General Manager at Insulet Corporation. In that capacity, she managed a 700-person commercial division and oversaw consecutive years of 20%+ top-line revenue growth.
Prior to Insulet, Sleeth spent years in leadership roles at Medtronic, managing the aorta and venous vascular business lines and directing strategy, marketing, and market development within its cardiac disease division. Sleeth holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Stanford University, a Master’s degree in Russian, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Her deep analytical capabilities and experience managing large commercial operations will support VocalEssence’s fiscal oversight and audience growth strategies.
5. Sunita Vongharath-Evenson
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson contributes specialized knowledge in human capital management, corporate culture, and organizational design. As an HR executive and non-profit advisory leader, Vongharath-Evenson’s professional work focuses on aligning talent acquisition and organizational culture with broader institutional missions. Her appointment aligns with VocalEssence’s internal goals regarding staff retention, equity initiatives, and leadership development.
6. Karen Voracek
Karen Voracek brings more than 30 years of cross-sector leadership spanning corporate strategy, donor engagement, and philanthropic product management. Voracek serves as Vice President of Donor Experience, Marketing & Strategy at Thrivent Charitable, where she leads long-term enterprise strategy, marketing campaigns, donor stewardship models, and service operations.
Before joining Thrivent Charitable, Voracek spent nearly three decades in the corporate sector directing business transformation and customer experience portfolios. A lifelong advocate for music education—having performed as a clarinetist and long-time choral singer—Voracek also serves on the Board of Directors for the Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and German from Carroll University and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.
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| BOARD FUNCTIONAL COVERAGE ASSESSMENT |
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| Strategy & Commercial Growth : Sleeth (Insulet/Medtronic), Miller (SCORE) |
| HR, Executive Search & DEI : Robinson (RRA), Vongharath-Evenson |
| Philanthropy & Marketing : Voracek (Thrivent Charitable) |
| Entrepreneurship & Outreach : Jalali (MEDA) |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+Official Statements & Executive Perspectives
The leadership team at VocalEssence emphasized that the new board appointments reflect both a commitment to foundational stability and a forward-looking operational vision.
Philip Brunelle, Founder and Artistic Director, noted the strategic value of broadening the organization’s network as it approaches six decades of operation:
"I’m delighted to welcome our new board members to the organization. Our mission is to unite our community in song, and each one of our new board members creates an opportunity we deeply value—to connect with the new voices and new networks that are always growing in the place we’ve called home for more than half a century. Serving on our board is a generous contribution of time, skill, and spirit, and we know these incredible professionals have insights and perspectives that will enhance VocalEssence beyond measure."
Amy Jaine Wielunski, Executive Director of VocalEssence, highlighted the functional management capabilities brought by the six incoming directors:
"These new board members bring a powerful mix of executive leadership, HR, marketing, philanthropy, and arts governance experience to VocalEssence. I am thrilled to welcome them on board! Just as inspiring are their personal connections to our mission, from lifelong choral singers to newer enthusiasts, all united by the belief that singing has the power to bring people together. I am excited at the opportunity to work with each of them as we grow our impact across the Twin Cities and beyond."
Future Outlook & Institutional Impact
The strategic addition of these six directors positions VocalEssence to execute several key operational goals heading into the late 2020s:
- Expanding Philanthropic Engagement: With experts like Karen Voracek (Thrivent Charitable) and Harry Miller (SCORE), the organization is better equipped to modernize its major gift strategies, structured giving programs, and donor retention pipelines.
- Elevating Commercial Strategy and Marketing: Leveraging Carolyn Sleeth’s background in scaling large corporate teams will assist VocalEssence in optimizing ticket sales revenue, subscriber acquisition models, and performance tour economics.
- Optimizing Governance and HR Policy: Bunny Robinson and Sunita Vongharath-Evenson provide expert guidance on non-profit HR practices, talent acquisition, executive oversight, and federal/state arts funding dynamics.
- Deepening Community Connections: Sooki Jalali’s work with MEDA and diverse business ecosystems aligns with VocalEssence’s goal to expand community participation across historically underserved demographics in the Twin Cities metro area.
As non-profit performing arts groups operate in an environment defined by changing demographic trends and shifting philanthropic priorities, VocalEssence’s governance expansion demonstrates a deliberate strategy to combine creative excellence with rigorous corporate oversight.
