MINNEAPOLIS–ST. PAUL — In a major governance move signaling a commitment to strategic expansion and community engagement, VocalEssence—one of the nation’s premier choral music organizations—has officially announced the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors.
As the 58-year-old nonprofit institution prepares for its next era of regional and national impact, the expansion brings a formidable combination of corporate executive leadership, human resources acumen, strategic philanthropy, cultural advocacy, and venture development to its governing body. The newly appointed board members—Sooki Jalali, Harry Miller, Bunny Robinson, Carolyn Sleeth, Sunita Vongharath-Evenson, and Karen Voracek—will serve as civic ambassadors, guide high-level policy, and ensure the long-term financial resilience of the Minneapolis-based arts organization.
The appointments come at a pivotal moment for arts non-profits, as cultural institutions across the United States navigate shifting audience demographics, evolving fundraising models, and the need for deeper community integration. By incorporating seasoned leaders from the medical technology, financial services, executive search, and small business development sectors, VocalEssence aims to bolster both its operational framework and its artistic reach across the Twin Cities metro area and beyond.
Detailed Profiles of the Appointees
The incoming class of board members represents a diverse cross-section of Minnesota’s corporate, philanthropic, and civic leadership. Each appointee brings a unique functional background aligned with VocalEssence’s operational goals:
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| VOCALESSENCE BOARD APPOINTEES |
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| Appointee | Primary Professional Background | Governance Focus |
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| Sooki Jalali | MEDA / Entrepreneurship | Business Growth |
| Harry Miller | SCORE Twin Cities | Strategy & Scale |
| Bunny Robinson | Navigate Forward / RRA | Talent & Arts Gov. |
| Carolyn Sleeth | Insulet / Medtronic | Commercial Ops |
| Sunita Vongharath-Evenson| HR Executive & Civic Leader | Org. Culture |
| Karen Voracek | Thrivent Charitable | Philanthropy & Mktg|
+--------------------------+-----------------------------------+--------------------+Sooki Jalali: Cross-Cultural Entrepreneurship and Small Business Advocacy
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Minnesota from her teenage years, Sooki Jalali holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Business from the University of Minnesota. Over her career, Jalali has launched three successful enterprises spanning the health, wellness, and business development sectors.
Currently serving as a Business Consultant at the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), Jalali specializes in helping minority-owned enterprises scale operations, secure capital, and navigate complex commercial landscapes. Her broader community service portfolio includes board and volunteer commitments with the Ebenezer Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Hunger Solutions, and the Alliance for a New Humanity. Jalali is also a certified yoga instructor trained under Dr. Deepak Chopra and was nominated for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man & Woman of the Year fundraising campaign in 2017. Her background provides VocalEssence with valuable insight into cross-cultural outreach, entrepreneurship, and grassroots community integration.
Harry Miller: Organizational Strategy and Enterprise Mentorship
With more than four decades of executive-level experience in corporate and mission-driven sectors, Harry Miller brings extensive practice in business development, organizational strategy, and cross-sector partnership building to the VocalEssence board.
Miller currently serves as an active volunteer leader and mentor with SCORE Twin Cities, where he advises small business owners and social entrepreneurs on long-term scaling, governance, and operational resilience. Within SCORE, Miller has anchored major fundraising, strategic development, and volunteer leadership initiatives. His focus on the board will center on clarifying institutional strategy, optimizing board governance, and cultivating strategic alliances that amplify VocalEssence’s educational and performance programs.
Bunny Robinson: Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, and Arts Governance
Bunny Robinson brings decades of high-level talent management and arts administration experience to VocalEssence. She currently serves as an Executive Consultant with Navigate Forward—a career transition firm advising C-suite executives—and is the Principal Consultant at Robinson-Robinson & Associates (RRA), a retained executive search firm specializing in placing diverse management talent.
Robinson’s career encompasses work in broadcast media, advertising, educational publishing, and alternative dispute resolution; she continues to act as a contract mediator for the Minnesota Department of Education. Her extensive history in arts governance includes previous service on the Minnesota State Arts Board, Arts Midwest, and the State Programs Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Washington, D.C. Additionally, Robinson has served on the boards of United Way Minneapolis, the Conflict Resolution Center, Missions Inc. Programs, and the Cultural Fluency Initiative. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from St. Catherine University.
Carolyn Sleeth: Corporate Commercialization and Global Scale
Carolyn Sleeth joins the board following a 20-year career as a senior executive in the medical technology sector. Most recently, Sleeth served as Senior Vice President and U.S. General Manager at Insulet Corporation, where she oversaw a 700-person commercial operation and generated over 20 percent annualized revenue growth.
Prior to her executive tenure at Insulet, Sleeth spent years at Medtronic, managing the company’s aorta and venous vascular business units while steering corporate strategy and marketing initiatives across cardiac disease divisions. Sleeth earned her undergraduate degree 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 corporate background in commercial scaling, operational management, and financial execution will support VocalEssence’s long-term sustainability plans.
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson: Executive HR and Organizational Dynamics
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson is a corporate human resources executive and civic leader whose career has centered on talent retention, leadership development, and structural change management within mission-driven environments.
Vongharath-Evenson’s professional work focuses on building sustainable organizational cultures that align administrative operations with broader strategic goals. Her appointment reflects VocalEssence’s internal emphasis on talent preservation, equitable staff development, and fostering community connections through choral programming.
Karen Voracek: Strategic Philanthropy, Marketing, and Donor Engagement
Karen Voracek serves as Vice President of Donor Experience, Marketing, and Strategy at Thrivent Charitable, where she leads enterprise planning, product management, donor relations, and marketing services. With over 30 years of corporate and nonprofit experience, Voracek’s career sits at the intersection of business transformation, customer experience design, and philanthropy.
Before joining Thrivent Charitable, Voracek led corporate marketing and transformation projects across national firms. Her volunteer leadership extends to the Board of Directors for the Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality. An active musician who played clarinet from an early age and continues to sing in local ensembles, Voracek holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and German from Carroll University. Her expertise will be central to enhancing VocalEssence’s donor retention strategies and brand visibility.
Supporting Context & Institutional Metrics
The introduction of these six directors reflects a deliberate shift toward diversifying board capabilities within the major arts sector. Historically dependent on traditional patron models, modern performing arts organizations require multi-disciplinary oversight to maintain audience growth and operational stability.
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| VOCALESSENCE GOVERNANCE METRICS |
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| Metric | Institutional Detail |
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| Year Founded | 1968 (58 Years of Continuous Operation) |
| Incoming Board Members | 6 |
| Combined Professional Experience | 150+ Years across Corporate & Non-Profit |
| Functional Expertise Added | Executive HR, MedTech Scaling, Philanthropy, |
| | Retained Search, Small Business Consulting |
| Primary Regional Scope | Twin Cities Metro, Minnesota, Upper Midwest |
+------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+Founded in 1968, VocalEssence operates multiple performing ensembles—including the VocalEssence Chorus and the professional VocalEssence Ensemble Singers—alongside wide-reaching community engagement programs such as WITNESS, which celebrates African American cultural contributions through music, and VocalEssence Vintage, aimed at older adults.
Maintaining these programs requires high-level governance. The addition of expertise from institutions like Medtronic, Insulet, Thrivent Charitable, MEDA, and the National Endowment for the Arts equips VocalEssence to manage complex operating budgets, expand corporate sponsorships, and broaden donor pipelines in an increasingly competitive environment for philanthropic capital.
Official Statements and Leadership Perspectives
Leadership at VocalEssence emphasized the strategic alignment and personal dedication brought by the incoming board class.
Philip Brunelle, Founder and Artistic Director of VocalEssence, highlighted the vital connection between governance and community reach:
"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, pointed to the diverse technical skills and operational backgrounds of the new appointees:
"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 and Strategic Imperatives
As VocalEssence advances into its 58th season, the expanded Board of Directors will focus on several key initiatives:
- Audience Expansion & Cultural Inclusivity: Utilizing the cross-cultural experience of directors like Sooki Jalali and Bunny Robinson to forge deeper links with diverse cultural communities across Minnesota.
- Philanthropic Innovation: Leveraging Karen Voracek’s background at Thrivent Charitable to modernize donor engagement models, planned giving programs, and endowment growth.
- Operational Scalability: Tapping the corporate and commercial capabilities of Carolyn Sleeth, Harry Miller, and Sunita Vongharath-Evenson to streamline internal operations, refine strategic planning, and support staff retention.
- Artistic Advocacy: Amplifying VocalEssence’s educational initiatives in public schools and community centers, ensuring that choral music remains accessible across generational and socio-economic lines.
With a fortified governance board combining arts advocacy and corporate rigor, VocalEssence is well-positioned to maintain its status as a cornerstone of Minnesota’s cultural landscape while setting a national benchmark for modern arts administration.
