Institutional Governance Expansion: VocalEssence Appoints Five Distinguished Civic and Cultural Leaders to Board of Directors

MINNEAPOLIS — October 20, 2025 — Marking 57 years as one of North America’s premier choral and vocal arts organizations, VocalEssence has officially announced the appointment of five new members to its Board of Directors. The strategic additions come at a pivotal juncture for the Twin Cities institution, which continues to expand its digital footprint, community engagement initiatives, and cross-disciplinary artistic partnerships across the region and beyond.

The board appointments bring together an influential mix of non-profit executive leadership, award-winning composition and media production expertise, public K-12 arts administration, organizational performance strategy, and performing arts management. As VocalEssence navigates an evolving cultural ecosystem, these leaders will act as key brand ambassadors, oversee strategic policy, and reinforce the fiscal foundation of the organization.

Executive Overview

Founded in 1969 by Artistic Director Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence has evolved from a local choral ensemble into an internationally recognized non-profit organization operating multiple performing groups, education initiatives, and community engagement programs—including the acclaimed WITNESS and ¡Cantaré! residencies.

The appointment of five new board members reflects an intentional governance strategy aimed at aligning artistic innovation with operational resilience. Board members at VocalEssence are tasked with dual responsibilities: serving as community advocates to broaden audience networks and acting as fiduciaries ensuring long-term financial stability.

"I’m delighted to welcome our new board members to the organization," stated Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence Founder and Artistic Director. "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."

Strategic Analysis of New Board Leadership

The five incoming board members bring distinct sectoral expertise ranging from higher education and public school system advocacy to commercial media design and executive theatre administration.

                                  VocalEssence
                           Board Expansion Matrix (2025)
                                        │
      ┌──────────────────┬──────────────┼──────────────┬──────────────────┐
      ▼                  ▼              ▼              ▼                  ▼
 [Ryan French]    [Novelli Jurado]  [Lori Ledoux]  [Dr. K. Morris]  [Eve Schulte]
 Non-Profit Exec  Digital Media &   Public Arts    Organizational   Performing Arts
 & Institutional   Composition      Education &    Strategy &       & Dance Exec
 Advancement                        Advocacy       Inclusion        Leadership

Ryan French: Executive Advancement & Performing Arts Management

Ryan French joins the board with a proven track record in executive management and financial development within major cultural institutions. Currently serving as Managing Director of the Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) in Minneapolis, French oversees all administrative, operational, and fiscal functions of the organization—encompassing development, marketing, education, legal affairs, and facility management.

French’s professional background includes leadership roles across the Twin Cities’ arts and academic networks:

• University of St. Thomas: Associate Vice President of Advancement and Campaign Director, driving major capital initiatives.
• Walker Art Center: Director of Marketing and Public Relations, expanding institutional visibility and audience acquisition.
• Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra & University of Minnesota: Executive and administrative leadership roles.

Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Music from St. Olaf College and a Master of Business Administration focused on marketing and non-profit management from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, French provides VocalEssence with high-level expertise in capital campaigns, donor stewardship, and enterprise risk management.

Novelli Jurado: Media Innovation, Composition, and Cultural Engagement

Novelli Jurado represents a vital bridge between traditional classical music and modern media production. An internationally recognized composer, digital media producer, and entrepreneur, Jurado brings more than 25 years of interdisciplinary experience to the board.

Jurado’s relationship with VocalEssence spans more than a decade. He was selected three separate times—in 2012, 2014, and 2017—as Composer-in-Residence for VocalEssence’s flagship ¡Cantaré! program, which brings Mexican composers into Twin Cities, Rochester, and Chicago classrooms. His personal history is tied to the organization: during his 2013 residency, he met his wife, Michelle, and their 2016 civil marriage was officiated by Philip Brunelle.

Jurado’s artistic and commercial background includes:

• Cross-Genre Collaborations: International tours with Brazilian jazz icon Milton Nascimento, recording projects with concert pianist Lang Lang, and performance tours with jazz guitarist Julio Revueltas.
• Composition & Scoring: Recipient of the Young Artist Scholarship from Mexico’s National Cultural Arts Committee; composer for Attractio (2015), the first Latin American video game distributed globally by Bandai Namco on PlayStation and Steam.
• Media & Enterprise: Founder and Executive Producer of Novart Media (established 2020), a minority-owned creative agency specializing in strategic digital storytelling. His client portfolio includes the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), VocalEssence, Secoya Health, and the Audio Engineering Society (AES) Mexico, where he has served on the board since 2013.

Jurado’s appointment enhances the organization’s capabilities in digital engagement, media production, and cross-cultural outreach.

Lori Ledoux: K-12 Arts Advocacy and Educational Integration

Lori Ledoux brings 16 years of public school experience to the board, serving as the K-12 Arts Content Lead for Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). In this capacity, she oversees district-wide curriculum development, specialist support, and instructional programming across music, visual arts, theater, dance, and media arts.

Ledoux’s focus on equity and access in arts education directly aligns with VocalEssence’s educational mission. At MPS, she has been instrumental in establishing community partnerships that bring diverse teaching artists directly into public school classrooms while structuring professional development frameworks for arts educators.

Her educational credentials include:

• Bachelor of Arts in Dance: University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
• Master of Teaching & K-12 Dance Licensure: Minnesota State University, Mankato.
• Educational Specialist Degree & K-12 Principal Licensure: Minnesota State University, Mankato.

In addition to her career in public education, Ledoux serves as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the City of Waconia, emphasizing her commitment to civic service. Her leadership will support VocalEssence’s efforts to strengthen ties with regional school districts and broaden youth access to choral music.

Dr. Kristin Morris: Organizational Strategy, Belonging, and Performance Improvement

Dr. Kristin Morris enters the governance leadership with over two decades of experience in executive coaching, organizational development, and strategic planning. As the Owner and Principal Consultant of Genesis Consulting Services, LLC, Dr. Morris acts as a global facilitator, performance improvement strategist, and belonging practitioner.

Dr. Morris’s career spans corporate, non-profit, and academic sectors. She serves as an instructor of leadership development within the Master of Arts in Organizational Learning program at St. Catherine University, customizing facilitation methodologies for executive teams, higher education boards, and civic institutions.

Her professional highlights and governance appointments include:

• Executive Councils & Boards: Member of the National Small Business Association’s Executive Leadership Council; Board Member for Capella University’s School of Public Health, and the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).
• Awards & Recognition: Named to Marquis Who’s Who in America (2023-2024); recipient of the 2023 Alumni Award of Excellence from the University of Minnesota CEHD; named a 2023 Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business Honoree.
• Academic Background: B.S. and M.Ed. in Human Resource Development and Adult Education from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities; Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Performance Improvement Leadership from Capella University.

Dr. Morris will advise VocalEssence on governance optimization, workplace culture, strategic growth, and inclusive leadership initiatives.

Eve Schulte: Performing Arts Executive Leadership and Interdisciplinary Arts

Eve Schulte offers deep expertise in artistic administration, dance performance, and multi-arts production. Based in Minneapolis, Schulte recently concluded a five-year tenure as Executive Director of James Sewell Ballet (2020–2025), having previously served as the company’s Artistic Associate (2017–2020) and mainstage dancer beginning in 2009.

Schulte’s career reflects an ongoing focus on cross-disciplinary arts:

• Choreographic Collaborations: Her original work Any Offered None earned a Minnesota Sage Award nomination for Outstanding Performance in 2016. Her choreographic repertoire includes work presented alongside the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, and the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus.
• Administrative & Academic Leadership: Has served as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota Department of Theatre Arts and Dance since 2017, leading advanced ballet courses. She has also served as co-director for the International Ballet Ensemble at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and maintained artistic residencies with Westminster Presbyterian Church and immersive theater organization Live Action Set.
• Education: Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Minnesota.

Schulte’s background in dance administration and interdisciplinary arts will assist VocalEssence in forging collaborative, multi-genre artistic projects across the Upper Midwest.

Supporting Context & Regional Arts Metrics

The appointment of these five directors comes at a time when non-profit arts organizations across the United States are working to adapt to post-pandemic audience patterns, shifting funding models, and changing demographic profiles.

In the Twin Cities metropolitan area—long considered one of the nation’s most active cultural hubs per capita—performing arts entities face distinct operational imperatives:

By introducing board members with established leadership across business, educational, and creative domains, VocalEssence is positioning itself to strengthen institutional stability while expanding its community presence over its next decade of operation.

Official Statements and Governance Philosophy

The newly appointed board members join VocalEssence as the organization prepares for upcoming performance seasons, community residencies, and educational initiatives. The appointments emphasize the organization’s focus on maintaining artistic excellence while expanding community access across Minnesota.

Reflecting on the role of the board within the organization’s strategic vision, Philip Brunelle emphasized the balance between fiduciary responsibility and civic engagement:

"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. As we expand our reach, their combined experience across arts management, education, strategic consulting, and media production will help guide our institutional policies while keeping us deeply connected to the communities we serve."

The new members formally assume their duties effective October 20, 2025, working alongside existing board leadership to direct fiscal policy, support development programs, and advance organizational initiatives.

Future Outlook

Looking ahead to the remainder of the 2025-2026 season and beyond, VocalEssence aims to leverage the specialized skills of its expanded board across several key strategic areas:

1. Expanding Educational Access: Leveraging Lori Ledoux’s public school network to deepen the footprint of WITNESS and ¡Cantaré! in underserved Twin Cities schools and greater Minnesota districts.
2. Elevating Digital Presence: Utilizing Novelli Jurado’s agency background to modernize digital streaming, media distribution, and content strategy for global audiences.
3. Institutional & Capital Growth: Applying Ryan French’s track record in capital campaigns and organizational management to strengthen endowment growth and donor retention strategies.
4. Organizational Excellence: Implementing Dr. Kristin Morris’s strategies to refine board performance, facilitate strategic planning, and support equity across organizational practices.
5. Cross-Genre Artistic Innovation: Utilizing Eve Schulte’s experience in interdisciplinary production to explore creative collaborations combining vocal music, dance, visual arts, and theatrical storytelling.

As VocalEssence enters its 58th year, the addition of these five leaders reinforces its commitment to artistic quality, educational access, and long-term institutional sustainability across the Upper Midwest.