MINNEAPOLIS — VocalEssence, one of Minnesota’s premier performing arts institutions, has officially announced the election of six new leaders to its Board of Directors. The appointments, announced on September 25, 2026, represent a significant expansion of the organization’s strategic leadership as it navigates its 58th year of operations.
The incoming board members bring an extensive array of expertise spanning corporate executive management, human resources, cross-cultural entrepreneurship, healthcare leadership, philanthropic strategy, and public arts governance. As VocalEssence continues its mission to unite diverse communities through choral music, these appointments are positioned to fortify the organization’s financial stewardship, audience development, and regional outreach across the Twin Cities and beyond.
Executive Overview: Strengthening Governance for a 58-Year Legacy
Since its founding in 1969, VocalEssence has operated as a vital cornerstone of the Upper Midwest’s cultural ecosystem. As a 58-year-old non-profit organization, its governing Board of Directors serves a dual imperative: acting as community ambassadors to expand the reach of choral music, and providing rigorous oversight regarding major policy decisions, fiscal sustainability, and long-term fiduciary health.
The strategic addition of these six leaders reflects an intentional effort by VocalEssence leadership to align artistic innovation with institutional resilience. The new board members—Sooki Jalali, Harry Miller, Bunny Robinson, Carolyn Sleeth, Sunita Vongharath-Evenson, and Karen Voracek—introduce a deep bench of executive talent drawn from major Minnesota corporations, specialized consulting practices, and regional philanthropic entities.
"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," said Philip Brunelle, founder and artistic director of VocalEssence. "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."
Echoing Brunelle’s sentiment, Amy Jaine Wielunski, executive director of VocalEssence, highlighted the operational and strategic timing of the appointments. "These new board members bring a powerful mix of executive leadership, HR, marketing, philanthropy, and arts governance experience to VocalEssence," Wielunski noted. "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."
Detailed Profile Breakdown: The New Board Appointees
The incoming board class represents a multi-disciplinary cohort whose collective professional background reflects the complex operational requirements of modern arts administration.
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| Board Appointee | Primary Professional Role | Key Core Competencies |
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| Sooki Jalali | Business Consultant, MEDA | Entrepreneurship, DEI, Health/Wellness|
| Harry Miller | Mentor/Volunteer, SCORE Twin Cities| Organizational Strategy, Governance |
| Bunny Robinson | Exec. Consultant, Navigate Forward | HR, Diversity Search, Public Arts |
| Carolyn Sleeth | Former SVP & US GM, Insulet | MedTech Exec, Commercial Growth, P&L |
| Sunita Vongharath-Evenson| HR Executive & Nonprofit Leader | Talent Management, Cultural Alignment |
| Karen Voracek | VP, Thrivent Charitable | Philanthropy, Marketing, Strategy |
+--------------------------+------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+Sooki Jalali: Cross-Cultural Entrepreneurship and Community Development
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and relocating to Minnesota during her teenage years, Sooki Jalali brings a distinct background in biological science, business development, and multicultural community building. A graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Business, Jalali has founded three successful enterprises across the health, wellness, and corporate consulting sectors.
Jalali currently serves as a Business Consultant at the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), where she directly assists minority and ethnic business owners in scaling operations, securing capital, and achieving sustainable growth. Her personal narrative is rooted in cross-cultural bridge-building; raised in a bi-cultural household after marrying her Persian husband, she prioritized bilingual literacy for her three children (Mitra, Bijan, and Syrus) in Farsi and Korean.
In addition to her economic development work, Jalali is a certified yoga instructor trained under Dr. Deepak Chopra. Her civic engagement includes active volunteerism and fundraising for organizations such as the Ebenezer Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (where she was nominated for Man & Woman of the Year in 2017), Hunger Solutions, and the Alliance for a New Humanity.
Harry Miller: Strategic Growth and Non-Profit Governance
With more than four decades of executive experience, Harry Miller’s career has centered on guiding corporate and mission-driven institutions through structural transitions, business development, and capacity-building phases.
Miller is an active mentor and volunteer leader with SCORE Twin Cities, a non-profit association dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs start, scale, and manage their operations. At SCORE, Miller’s contributions have extended into institutional governance, where he has spearheaded major development, volunteer leadership, and fundraising initiatives to broaden the organization’s regional footprint. His governance focus at VocalEssence will center on strategic planning, leadership cultivation, and organizational alignment.
Bunny Robinson: HR Transformation, Executive Recruitment, and Arts Advocacy
Bunny Robinson brings extensive experience in human resources, executive recruitment, and public arts administration to the VocalEssence board. Robinson currently functions as an executive consultant with Navigate Forward, assisting C-suite executives through major career transitions. Concurrently, she is the principal consultant of Robinson-Robinson & Associates (RRA), a retained executive search firm specializing in delivering diverse candidate slates for senior management roles.
Robinson’s commitment to public arts administration and civic service spans decades. Her previous board leadership includes appointments to 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 serves on the board of the Cultural Fluency Initiative and has previously served on non-profit boards including 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. Furthermore, Robinson served 20 years as a local election judge, completing her service in 2025, and continues to act as a contract mediator for the Minnesota Department of Education.
A native of Chicago, 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.
Carolyn Sleeth: Corporate Scaling and Commercial Leadership
Carolyn Sleeth joins the VocalEssence board following a 20-year career in the medical technology and executive leadership sectors. Most recently, Sleeth served as Senior Vice President and U.S. General Manager at Insulet Corporation, where she managed a 700-person commercial organization and delivered sustained year-over-year revenue growth exceeding 20 percent.
Prior to her executive tenure at Insulet, Sleeth spent over a decade at Medtronic, holding senior leadership positions across marketing, strategy, and business development within the cardiac disease and vascular divisions—specifically directing the company’s aorta and venous vascular portfolios.
Originally from California, Sleeth holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Stanford University, a Master’s degree in Russian, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. A Twin Cities resident for two decades, her commercial acumen and scale-management expertise will be leveraged to enhance VocalEssence’s financial strategies and market penetration.
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson: HR Executive Leadership and Culture Building
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson is an established human resources executive and non-profit advocate whose career focuses on workforce optimization, executive coaching, and institutional alignment.
Vongharath-Evenson’s professional portfolio centers on partnering with mission-driven entities to manage complex change management processes, refine workplace culture, and build sustainable talent pipelines. Her appointment to the board brings specialized human capital management expertise, reinforcing VocalEssence’s internal organizational structures and artistic community initiatives.
Karen Voracek: Philanthropic Strategy, Marketing, and Brand Operations
Karen Voracek serves as Vice President of Donor Experience, Marketing & Strategy at Thrivent Charitable, where she leads enterprise-wide initiatives covering strategic planning, donor engagement, product development, and operational oversight. Voracek’s career spans more than 30 years, transitioning from corporate brand strategy and business transformation into senior philanthropic leadership.
Before joining Thrivent Charitable, Voracek spent nearly three decades managing complex corporate strategy, market expansion, and customer experience frameworks. At Thrivent, she works at the intersection of capital allocation and charitable generosity, helping individual and corporate donors maximize their philanthropic impact.
Voracek’s personal history with music began in childhood as a clarinetist, and she remains an active choral vocalist in her parish choir. Her broader board service includes the Board of Directors for the Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality. Voracek holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and German from Carroll University.
Official Statements and Governance Perspectives
The arrival of the six new directors comes at a pivotal period for performing arts institutions nationwide. As non-profit cultural entities recalibrate operational models to navigate shifting post-pandemic audience demographics, donor trends, and labor market dynamics, the composition of governing boards has become increasingly critical.
Artistic and Executive Alignment
Founder and Artistic Director Philip Brunelle emphasized that the board’s expansion directly influences the artistic mission.
"VocalEssence has always thrived because of its connection to the community. When we bring individuals of this caliber into our governing body, we aren’t simply filling seats around a boardroom table; we are expanding our vision. The insights that Sooki, Harry, Bunny, Carolyn, Sunita, and Karen bring will allow us to listen more deeply to our community, uncover new creative avenues, and ensure our musical performance continues to reflect the changing vibrant landscape of Minnesota."
— Philip Brunelle, Founder and Artistic Director
Executive Director Amy Jaine Wielunski highlighted the practical execution of the board’s duties over the coming fiscal cycles:
"In the non-profit sector, strong governance requires a delicate balance of visionary leadership, financial discipline, and deep operational expertise. This incoming cohort fulfills every single aspect of that equation. From high-growth corporate strategy and sophisticated HR frameworks to hands-on fundraising and community mediation, our new board members equip VocalEssence with the tools necessary to expand our impact across the Twin Cities and beyond."
— Amy Jaine Wielunski, Executive Director
Supporting Context & Institutional Metrics
The governance updates come as VocalEssence continues to maintain a substantial physical and economic footprint within the Upper Midwest arts sector. Established in 1969 as the Minnesota Chorale (later renamed VocalEssence), the organization operates multiple performance ensembles, educational outreach programs, and commissioning initiatives.
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| VOCALESSENCE INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE |
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| Metric / Parameter | Operational Scope |
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| Year Founded | 1969 |
| Current Operational Season | 58th Season (2026–2027) |
| Primary Geographic Focus | Minneapolis–St. Paul Metropolitan Area |
| Primary Performing Ensembles | VocalEssence Chorus, VocalEssence Ensemble |
| Key Community Programs | WITNESS, VocalEssence Vintage Voices |
| Primary Governance Responsibilities| Fiduciary oversight, strategic growth, DEI, |
| | donor cultivation, policy development |
+------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+Strategic Alignment with Regional Trends
The composition of the new board cohort reflects several major macro-trends currently shaping the non-profit and arts sectors:
- Integrated DEI Practices: The inclusion of leaders like Bunny Robinson (principal of a diverse-focused executive search firm) and Sooki Jalali (MEDA business consultant) reinforces VocalEssence’s goal of broadening its community access and programmatic diversity.
- Corporate and Philanthropic Synergy: With Carolyn Sleeth’s background managing a $100M+ commercial medical device operation and Karen Voracek’s leadership at Thrivent Charitable, the board gains sophisticated command over structured philanthropic instruments, capital campaigns, and long-term endowment growth.
- Human Capital and Leadership Retention: The dual addition of Sunita Vongharath-Evenson and Bunny Robinson provides the organization with high-level human resource guidance, ensuring staff retention, equitable organizational design, and strong executive talent pipelines.
Future Outlook: Navigating the 2026–2027 Season and Beyond
As VocalEssence integrates these six leaders into its governance matrix, the organization is poised to execute a series of long-term strategic goals. The immediate priorities for the expanded Board of Directors will include finalizing upcoming seasonal performance budgets, overseeing regional educational access programs—such as the acclaimed WITNESS program, which highlights contributions of African American creators to regional youth—and expanding the VocalEssence Vintage Voices initiative for older adults.
Furthermore, the board will focus on leveraging the new members’ corporate and civic networks to diversify revenue streams. By combining traditional philanthropic giving with strategic corporate partnerships, VocalEssence aims to protect its core financial reserve against broader economic volatility.
With a board now combining world-class corporate strategy, deep public sector policy experience, and an enduring commitment to choral music, VocalEssence enters its 58th year structured to preserve its historical legacy while expanding its cultural influence locally, nationally, and internationally.
