MINNEAPOLIS–ST. PAUL — In a major governance expansion aimed at reinforcing its financial longevity and broadening its community reach, VocalEssence has officially announced the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors. Announced on September 25, 2026, this strategic influx of leadership brings a diverse suite of expertise—spanning executive management, corporate strategy, human resources, multicultural entrepreneurship, and high-level arts governance—to one of the nation’s premier choral arts organizations.
Now in its 58th year of operation, VocalEssence continues to function as both a regional cultural cornerstone and an internationally recognized performing arts institution. The new appointments arrive at a pivotal juncture for non-profit arts management, where organizations must balance artistic tradition with modern fiscal strategy, community equity, and evolving audience engagement. The newly appointed directors will act as community ambassadors, oversee institutional policy, and provide fiduciary oversight to safeguard the organization’s long-term operational health.
Executive Overview: A Multi-Disciplinary Expansion of Board Governance
The appointment of six new directors represents a calculated effort by VocalEssence leadership to fortify its operational infrastructure. The incoming cohort brings proven track records in executive search, medical device scaling, philanthropic asset management, small business consulting, and cross-cultural advocacy.
As non-profit performing arts organizations navigate complex post-pandemic operational landscapes, governance models have increasingly shifted toward holistic leadership frameworks. VocalEssence’s expanded board integrates corporate rigor with deep community roots across the Twin Cities and national arts platforms.
The six newly appointed directors are:
Sooki Jalali — Business Consultant, Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA); Serial Entrepreneur.
Harry Miller — Executive Mentor and Strategist, SCORE Twin Cities.
Carolyn Sleeth — Former Senior Vice President and U.S. General Manager, Insulet Corporation; Medtech Executive.
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson — Human Resources Executive and Non-Profit Advisor.
Karen Voracek — Vice President of Donor Experience, Marketing & Strategy, Thrivent Charitable.
Detailed Chronology: The Evolution of VocalEssence Governance
To understand the strategic import of the September 2026 appointments, it is necessary to examine the organizational trajectory of VocalEssence across nearly six decades of performance and public engagement.
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| VOCALESSENCE INSTITUTIONAL TIMELINE |
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| 1968: Founded as the Minnesota Chorale (later Plymouth Music Series/VocalEssence)|
| by Artistic Director Philip Brunelle. |
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| 1990s–2000s: Expansion into national/international touring, commissioning works, |
| and establishing robust community education programs (WITNESS, Cantare). |
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| Mid-2020s: Transition toward broader equity initiatives, expanded philanthropic |
| endowments, and modernized cross-sector governance models. |
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| SEPTEMBER 25, 2026: Official induction of six new Board Members, expanding |
| strategic expertise across medtech, corporate HR, philanthropy, and DEI. |
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Founded in 1968 by Artistic Director Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence began as a visionary choral ensemble dedicated to performing underrepresented vocal literature and commissioning new works. Over the decades, the organization expanded its scope to include world-premiere recordings, international tours, and extensive educational outreach initiatives such as the WITNESS and Cantare programs.
As the organization grew in administrative scale, its governance model evolved from an advisory body into a dynamic, cross-functional Board of Directors responsible for multi-million-dollar budget oversight, endowment growth, and strategic community integration. The September 2026 board appointments reflect the latest iteration of this growth strategy, positioning VocalEssence to tackle complex economic and demographic shifts over the next decade.
Comprehensive Profiles of the Appointees
Sooki Jalali: Entrepreneurship and Minority Business Equity
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and relocating to Minnesota during her teenage years, Sooki Jalali brings a background in biological sciences, business development, and cross-cultural community advocacy. A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Business, Jalali has built three successful enterprises across the health, wellness, and business consulting sectors.
Currently serving as a Business Consultant at the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), Jalali specializes in helping minority business owners scale operations and build sustainable capital structures. Her advocacy extends deeply into community health and cultural preservation; she raised her three children—Mitra, Bijan, and Syrus—to be fully bilingual in Farsi and Korean, reinforcing her commitment to multicultural heritage.
A certified yoga instructor trained under Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D., Jalali’s philanthropic board service includes leadership and volunteer roles with the Ebenezer Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (where she was nominated for Man and Woman of the Year in 2017), Hunger Solutions, and the Alliance for a New Humanity.
Harry Miller: Strategic Growth and Non-Profit Mentorship
With more than 40 years of corporate and non-profit advisory experience, Harry Miller brings institutional expertise in organizational growth, strategic planning, and partnership development.
Miller’s leadership focus centers on helping mission-driven entities navigate complex structural changes. As an active mentor and volunteer leader with SCORE Twin Cities, Miller works directly with business owners and non-profit leaders to establish resilient revenue models, enhance board governance, and optimize volunteer leadership pipelines. His long-standing focus on fundraising, operational development, and organizational strategy provides VocalEssence with a seasoned perspective on sustainable growth.
Bunny Robinson: Human Capital, Diversity Recruitment, and Arts Policy
Bunny Robinson brings a distinguished career spanning executive search, human resources strategy, and national arts panel governance. She serves as an executive consultant with Navigate Forward—a specialized career transition firm for C-suite executives—and is the principal consultant of Robinson-Robinson & Associates (RRA), a retained executive search firm focused on placing diverse, high-caliber talent in management and executive roles.
Robinson’s service in arts governance is extensive. She previously served 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. She currently sits on the board of the Cultural Fluency Initiative. Her civic footprint also includes past board service 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, alongside two decades of civic duty as an election judge ending in 2025.
A Chicago native, Robinson holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) 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. She also acts as a contract mediator for the Minnesota Department of Education.
Carolyn Sleeth: Commercial Scaling and Medtech Executive Leadership
Carolyn Sleeth brings over two decades of senior executive leadership within the highly regulated medical device sector. Most recently, Sleeth served as Senior Vice President and U.S. General Manager at Insulet Corporation, where she managed a 700-person commercial division and executed growth strategies that yielded more than 20% annualized revenue growth.
Prior to Insulet, Sleeth spent years in executive roles at Medtronic, overseeing marketing, market development, and corporate strategy within the aorta, venous vascular, and cardiac disease divisions.
Originally from California, 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. A Minneapolis-area resident for 20 years, her corporate expertise in managing multi-million-dollar operational budgets and scaling enterprise strategy adds significant analytical depth to the VocalEssence Board.
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson: Organizational Culture and Change Management
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson is a seasoned human resources executive and non-profit leader who specializes in talent development, organizational transformation, and workplace culture optimization.
Vongharath-Evenson’s career has focused on aligning human capital strategies with overarching institutional missions. Her expertise will support VocalEssence in internal leadership development, employee engagement, and ensuring that organizational operations align with the non-profit’s core values of community connection and artistic excellence.
Karen Voracek: Philanthropic Strategy and Donor Experience
Karen Voracek serves as Vice President of Donor Experience, Marketing & Strategy at Thrivent Charitable, where she leads enterprise-wide strategy, product management, donor engagement, and service operations. With over 30 years of executive experience intersecting corporate strategy, business transformation, and charitable giving, Voracek is a recognized authority on donor stewardship and non-profit innovation.
Before transitioning her focus fully to non-profit philanthropy, Voracek led enterprise strategy and customer experience initiatives in the corporate sector for nearly three decades.
In addition to her professional role, Voracek serves on the Board of Directors for the Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality. An accomplished musician who played clarinet from childhood and actively sings in her parish choir, Voracek holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and German from Carroll University.
Supporting Context & Strategic Metrics
The strategic addition of these six directors substantially expands the collective capabilities of the VocalEssence Board of Directors. The incoming class significantly expands the board’s professional skill set across several critical core competencies:
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| VOCALESSENCE BOARD SKILLS MATRIX ADDITIONS |
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| GOVERNANCE DOMAIN KEY INCOMING EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE |
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| Enterprise Strategy: Carolyn Sleeth (Insulet/Medtronic), Karen Voracek |
| (Thrivent Charitable), Harry Miller (SCORE) |
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| DEI & Talent Search: Bunny Robinson (RRA/Navigate Forward), Sunita |
| Vongharath-Evenson, Sooki Jalali (MEDA) |
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| Philanthropy & Donors: Karen Voracek (Thrivent Charitable), Harry Miller |
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| Public Arts Policy: Bunny Robinson (NEA, MSAB, Arts Midwest) |
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Strategic Alignment
Commercial Scaling and Revenue Diversification: Sleeth’s background in driving >20% annual corporate growth alongside Voracek’s philanthropic asset strategy equips VocalEssence with tools to modernize its earned revenue and donor-gift architectures.
National and Regional Arts Policy Integration: Robinson’s prior panel service with the National Endowment for the Arts and Minnesota State Arts Board ensures that VocalEssence remains aligned with state and federal grantmaking frameworks.
Inclusive Community Engagement: The combined experience of Jalali (MEDA), Robinson (Cultural Fluency Initiative), and Vongharath-Evenson positions the organization to deepen connections with historically underrepresented audiences and emerging networks across the Twin Cities metro area.
Official Leadership Statements
The board appointments have drawn strong endorsements from VocalEssence’s executive and artistic leadership, emphasizing the strategic value of cross-sector expertise in advancing the organization’s mission.
Philip Brunelle, Founder and Artistic Director of VocalEssence, highlighted the vital role of fresh perspectives in keeping the 58-year-old organization culturally agile:
“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, emphasized the strategic alignment of the incoming class with the operational goals of the organization:
“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: Navigating the Next Phase of Arts Stewardship
As VocalEssence approaches its sixth decade of operation, the induction of these six leaders positions the institution to address the evolving realities of the non-profit performing arts sector.
Key strategic initiatives for the expanded board will include:
Audience Development: Leveraging marketing and strategy expertise (Voracek, Sleeth) to attract younger and more diverse demographic segments.
Sustainable Endowment Growth: Utilizing high-level donor-experience frameworks (Voracek, Miller) to secure long-term capital stability.
Equity-Driven Programming: Capitalizing on deep DEI and community-consulting backgrounds (Robinson, Jalali, Vongharath-Evenson) to expand initiatives like WITNESS and Cantare into new neighborhood corridors.
By synthesizing corporate rigor with community-focused arts advocacy, VocalEssence’s upgraded governance structure sets a precedent for how legacy non-profits can proactively adapt to modern market conditions while remaining true to their founding artistic missions.
