MINNEAPOLIS — September 25, 2026 — VocalEssence, one of Minnesota’s premier non-profit choral organizations, has announced a major expansion of its governing body, appointing six distinguished leaders to its Board of Directors. The incoming cohort brings a sophisticated blend of executive management, human resources expertise, commercial strategy, civic philanthropy, and arts policy experience to the 58-year-old institution.
The newly appointed board members—Sooki Jalali, Harry Miller, Bunny Robinson, Carolyn Sleeth, Sunita Vongharath-Evenson, and Karen Voracek—join the organization at a crucial juncture in its history. As arts organizations nationwide navigate shifting audience demographics, evolving fundraising landscapes, and complex post-pandemic economic realities, VocalEssence is positioning itself for sustained long-term growth and deepened community integration across the Twin Cities metro area and beyond.
Executive Overview: Strengthening Governance and Community Engagement
As VocalEssence approaches nearly six decades of artistic service, the expansion of its Board of Directors represents a deliberate strategic move to reinforce both its fiduciary foundation and its community outreach. Board members at VocalEssence serve dual functions: acting as institutional ambassadors within the broader community and providing governance, policy direction, and fiscal oversight to guarantee the non-profit’s financial health.
The six new appointments reflect a deliberate effort to curate a cross-disciplinary board capable of addressing modern non-profit management challenges. The cohort includes seasoned commercial executives from Fortune 500 companies and medical tech giants, prominent human resources consultants, community development advocates, and lifelong arts policy leaders.
By integrating these diverse skill sets, VocalEssence aims to enhance its donor stewardship, streamline organizational growth, expand educational outreach programs, and foster stronger ties with underrepresented cultural communities across Minnesota.
Detailed Institutional Context & Governance Chronology
The Evolution of VocalEssence
Founded in 1969 by Artistic Director Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence—originally established as the Plymouth Music Series—has grown from a local parish-based ensemble into an internationally recognized choral institution. Over its 58-year history, the organization has championed contemporary choral music, commissioned hundreds of new works, and built comprehensive education programs such as WITNESS and Cantare!, which bring vocal music into regional classrooms.
Throughout its multi-decade evolution, the organization’s resilience has depended on a robust governance structure. The Board of Directors holds ultimate fiduciary responsibility, working in close collaboration with executive leadership to manage operational budgets, oversee endowment funds, establish long-range strategic initiatives, and maintain operational transparency.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| VOCALESSENCE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Board of Directors |
| • Fiduciary Oversight • Ambassadorial Outreach • Strategic Policy & Vision |
+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
|
+--------------------+--------------------+
| |
v v
Philip Brunelle, Founder Amy Jaine Wielunski,
Artistic Director Executive Director
• Artistic Vision & Programming • Operational Strategy & Finance
• Community Vocal Engagement • Organizational Impact & ScaleStrategic Board Refresh in a Changing Arts Landscape
The September 2026 appointments mark a significant governance milestone for VocalEssence. Non-profit performing arts organizations across the United States face unprecedented shifts: traditional subscription models are giving way to single-ticket buying habits, corporate foundation giving is reallocating focus, and digital engagement requires sophisticated commercial marketing strategies.
To navigate these dynamics, VocalEssence executive leadership initiated a board search aimed at recruiting leaders who possess high-level corporate governance experience alongside a personal commitment to the transformative power of choral music.
Profiles of the Appointees: Backgrounds and Expertise
+--------------------------+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Board Member | Primary Industry / Background | Key Areas of Expertise |
+--------------------------+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Sooki Jalali | MEDA / Entrepreneurship | Business Consulting, Multicultural |
| | | Business Scaling, Community Health |
+--------------------------+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Harry Miller | SCORE Twin Cities | Organizational Strategy, Business |
| | | Mentorship, Non-Profit Development |
+--------------------------+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Bunny Robinson | Navigate Forward / RRA | Executive Search, HR, Public Arts |
| | | Policy, Contract Mediation |
+--------------------------+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Carolyn Sleeth | Medical Device Executive (Insulet/Medtronic) | Commercial Scaling, P&L Growth, |
| | | Strategic Planning, Corporate Admin |
+--------------------------+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Sunita Vongharath-Evenson| Non-Profit / HR Executive | Workplace Culture, Leadership Dev, |
| | | Organizational Change Management |
+--------------------------+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Karen Voracek | Thrivent Charitable | Donor Experience, Philanthropic Strategy,|
| | | Brand Marketing, Enterprise Growth |
+--------------------------+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------------+Sooki Jalali: Entrepreneurship, Cultural Diversity, and Economic Empowerment
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Sooki Jalali relocated to Minnesota as a teenager and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Business from the University of Minnesota. A serial entrepreneur, Jalali has launched three successful ventures across 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 business owners scale their operations, navigate capital access, and achieve long-term commercial viability. Her personal background—raising three biracial children fluent in Farsi and Korean—informs her deep commitment to cultural advocacy and inclusive community building.
Jalali’s extensive volunteer portfolio includes service with the Ebenezer Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (where she was nominated for the Man & Woman of the Year fundraising campaign in 2017), Hunger Solutions, and the Alliance for a New Humanity. A certified yoga instructor trained under Dr. Deepak Chopra, Jalali brings to VocalEssence a distinct combination of business development strategy and holistic community advocacy.
Harry Miller: Strategic Growth, Mentorship, and Business Scaling
With over four decades of experience guiding commercial enterprises and mission-driven non-profits, Harry Miller brings extensive expertise in organizational design, partnership building, and institutional development.
As an executive mentor and active volunteer with SCORE Twin Cities, Miller has spent years advising small business owners and non-profit leaders on navigating pivot points, clarifying organizational strategy, and developing effective governance frameworks. His prior work within SCORE extended into direct
leadership over development, fundraising, and board governance initiatives designed to expand organizational reach.
At VocalEssence, Miller’s broad experience in business development and organizational change will support the board’s efforts to strengthen strategic partnerships across the Twin Cities corporate and philanthropic sectors.
Bunny Robinson: Human Capital, Diversity Recruitment, and Arts Policy
Bunny Robinson brings a vast background in human resources, public arts policy, and executive search to the VocalEssence board. She serves as an executive consultant with Navigate Forward, advising C-suite leaders during career transitions, and leads Robinson-Robinson & Associates (RRA), a retained executive search firm specializing in inclusive, diverse talent acquisition for executive leadership positions.
Robinson’s public policy credentials in the arts sector are extensive. She previously served on the Minnesota State Arts Board, the regional leadership board of 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.
Beyond the arts, Robinson’s civic engagements include previous board service for 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 20-year election judge, Robinson holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from St. Catherine University.
Carolyn Sleeth: High-Growth Commercial Operations and Executive Leadership
Carolyn Sleeth brings more than two decades of senior executive leadership within the medical technology sector to VocalEssence. Most recently, Sleeth served as Senior Vice President and U.S. General Manager at Insulet, where she managed a 700-person commercial organization and drove consistent annual top-line revenue growth exceeding 20%.
Prior to her executive tenure at Insulet, Sleeth spent many years at Medtronic, where she led the company’s aorta and venous vascular business units and directed strategic marketing and market development initiatives within its cardiac disease division.
A resident of the Minneapolis area for two decades, Sleeth holds a bachelor’s 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 extensive background in managing large-scale P&L environments, commercial strategy, and team scaling will provide VocalEssence with valuable corporate governance insights.
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson: HR Strategy, Organizational Culture, and Community Alignment
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson is a senior human resources executive and non-profit advocate focused on organizational transformation, leadership development, and workplace culture. Throughout her career, Vongharath-Evenson has partnered with mission-driven organizations to align internal culture with overarching strategic mandates.
Her appointment aligns directly with VocalEssence’s internal strategic focus on cultivating organizational resilience, supporting staff development, and ensuring that community-facing programs reflect the diverse demographics of the broader Twin Cities population.
Karen Voracek: Philanthropic Strategy, Donor Experience, and Enterprise Brand Marketing
Karen Voracek serves as Vice President of Donor Experience, Marketing & Strategy at Thrivent Charitable, bringing over 30 years of experience situated at the intersection of enterprise strategy, corporate marketing, customer experience, and charitable giving.
At Thrivent Charitable, Voracek oversees enterprise-wide strategy, donor relations, brand marketing, product management, and service operations. Before shifting her core focus toward philanthropic strategy and donor engagement, Voracek spent nearly three decades in corporate sector positions directing large-scale business transformation and brand initiatives.
An active musician who began playing clarinet in fifth grade and continues to perform in her parish choir, Voracek brings a personal passion for music to her governance role. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality. Voracek holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and German from Carroll University.
Official Statements and Institutional Perspective
The leadership of VocalEssence emphasized the strategic alignment and operational capabilities that the six new members bring to the organization.
"I’m delighted to welcome our new board members to the organization," said Philip Brunelle, Artistic Director and Founder of VocalEssence. "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, noted that the expertise of the incoming cohort directly supports the non-profit’s expansion plans:
"These new board members bring a powerful mix of executive leadership, HR, marketing, philanthropy, and arts governance experience to VocalEssence," stated Wielunski. "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 & Strategic Roadmap
The addition of these six leaders positions VocalEssence to execute a comprehensive, multi-year strategic roadmap aimed at organizational sustainability and expanded cultural reach.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| VOCALESSENCE STRATEGIC GROWTH PRIORITIES |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| [Fiduciary Resilience] • Capitalize on expertise from Thrivent Charitable |
| • Diversify revenue streams & major gifts |
| |
| [Operational Scaling] • Utilize commercial strategies (Insulet / Medtronic) |
| • Optimize institutional governance & efficiency |
| |
| [Civic Outreach] • Leverage MEDA & NEA background for DEI initiatives |
| • Expand educational programs (WITNESS / Cantare!) |
| |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+Key Areas of Strategic Impact
- Enhancing Philanthropic & Capital Campaigns: Leveraging the donor engagement experience of Karen Voracek and the non-profit development acumen of Harry Miller, VocalEssence is set to modernize its fundraising framework, targeting major individual gifts, planned giving programs, and corporate foundation sponsorships.
- Expanding Multicultural Outreach: Utilizing Sooki Jalali’s network with MEDA and Bunny Robinson’s deep ties to national and state arts panels, the organization plans to broaden its community footprint, ensuring its educational initiatives and concert series engage historically underrepresented communities across Minnesota.
- Operational Optimization & Executive Talent Retention: The combined human resources and search expertise of Bunny Robinson and Sunita Vongharath-Evenson will assist VocalEssence in refining internal succession planning, executive recruitment, and employee retention strategies.
- Commercial Strategy in Audience Acquisition: Carolyn Sleeth’s background in driving commercial expansion will inform the organization’s ticket sales marketing, brand positioning, and digital content distribution efforts, ensuring steady audience growth.
As VocalEssence prepares for its upcoming performance season, the integration of these six leaders provides the non-profit with the corporate rigor, policy expertise, and strategic vision required to sustain its musical mission for decades to come.
