MINNEAPOLIS — September 25, 2026 — VocalEssence, one of the nation’s premier choral music organizations, has officially announced the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors. The appointments represent a deliberate expansion of the 58-year-old nonprofit’s governance, bringing together executive expertise across healthcare commercialization, human resources, corporate strategy, strategic philanthropy, and minority business development.
As VocalEssence navigates an evolving landscape for performing arts institutions, these appointments underscore a strategy to fuse artistic excellence with cross-sector business acumen. The incoming directors—Sooki Jalali, Harry Miller, Bunny Robinson, Carolyn Sleeth, Sunita Vongharath-Evenson, and Karen Voracek—will serve as community ambassadors, oversee major policy decisions, and steward the financial stability of the Minneapolis-based institution as it expands its reach throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area and beyond.
Executive Overview: A Strategic Pivot in Arts Governance
The addition of six high-profile professionals to the VocalEssence Board of Directors reflects a broader trend among major cultural institutions seeking to diversify board capabilities. While traditional arts governance often relied heavily on patron-based philanthropy, contemporary arts management demands sophisticated competencies in corporate scaling, equitable talent acquisition, data-driven donor engagement, and community-embedded business development.
The newly appointed cohort brings high-level executive leadership from global healthcare firms, major philanthropic foundations, specialized executive search consultancies, and regional economic development organizations.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| VOCALESSENCE NEW BOARD APPOINTEES |
+---------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Director | Core Expertise & Primary Affiliation |
+---------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Sooki Jalali | Entrepreneurship, MEDA Business Consultant |
| Harry Miller | Organizational Strategy, SCORE Twin Cities Leadership |
| Bunny Robinson | Executive HR, Navigate Forward & Robinson-Robinson |
| Carolyn Sleeth | Medical Device Executive, Former SVP at Insulet |
| Sunita Vongharath-Evenson | HR Executive & Nonprofit Culture Specialist |
| Karen Voracek | Strategic Philanthropy, VP at Thrivent Charitable |
+---------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------+
This leadership expansion aligns directly with VocalEssence’s operational goals: expanding community outreach, maintaining long-term financial resilience, and deepening connections with increasingly diverse demographics across the Twin Cities region.
Founded in 1969 by Artistic Director Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence has grown over nearly six decades from a regional choral ensemble into an internationally recognized choral music organization. Over its 58-year history, the organization has commissioned hundreds of new works, recorded extensively, and launched major community outreach initiatives such as WITNESS, which celebrates the contributions of African American creators to classical music, and ¡Cantaré!, which brings Mexican composers into local classrooms.
However, performing arts nonprofits nationwide continue to encounter structural challenges, including shifts in audience demographics, evolving donor behavior, and changing ticket revenue dynamics. To adapt to these industry shifts, VocalEssence’s board expansion focuses on recruiting leaders capable of optimizing operational management, enhancing donor retention strategies, and building institutional resilience.
By integrating leaders with deep roots in local commerce, healthcare, and civic governance, VocalEssence positions itself to strengthen its long-term financial foundation while upholding its artistic mission.
Profiles of the New Board Directors
1. Sooki Jalali: Entrepreneurship and Minority Business Scaling
Born in Seoul, South Korea, and relocating to Minnesota as a teenager, Sooki Jalali brings a background combining biological sciences, business development, and cross-cultural community advocacy to the board. Jalali holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Business from the University of Minnesota and has founded three successful enterprises in health, wellness, and corporate development.
Jalali serves as a Business Consultant at the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), an organization dedicated to helping ethnic minority entrepreneurs scale their businesses. Her work focuses on capital access, operational strategy, and enterprise expansion.
Beyond her corporate endeavors, Jalali has a history of civic engagement. A certified yoga instructor trained under Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D., she has volunteered with organizations including 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. Raising her three children—Mitra, Bijan, and Syrus—in a multicultural household, Jalali prioritized raising her family with a strong sense of biracial identity, learning to speak and write in both Farsi and Korean. Her background will support VocalEssence’s commitment to cross-cultural engagement and economic sustainability.
2. Harry Miller: Strategic Mentorship and Organizational Growth
Harry Miller joins the board with over four decades of experience advising commercial enterprises and mission-driven nonprofits on corporate growth, structural alignment, and governance transitions. His expertise focuses on long-range strategic planning, team leadership, and building public-private partnerships.
Miller is an active mentor and volunteer leader with SCORE Twin Cities, a nonprofit network dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs launch and scale. Within SCORE, Miller has led initiatives across development, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and board governance. His background in organizational strategy will provide VocalEssence with guidance on long-term sustainability, volunteer engagement, and operational development.
3. Bunny Robinson: Human Capital, Diversity Recruiting, and Arts Governance
Bunny Robinson brings extensive experience in human resources, executive recruitment, and public policy within the arts sector. She currently serves as an executive consultant with Navigate Forward, specializing in C-suite career transitions, and is the principal consultant at Robinson-Robinson & Associates (RRA), a retained executive search firm focused on placing diverse talent in corporate and nonprofit leadership roles.
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. Her career spans broadcasting, advertising, educational publishing, and alternative dispute resolution; she continues to serve as a contract mediator for the Minnesota Department of Education.
Robinson’s public service in arts governance is extensive. She previously served on the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Board of Directors for Arts Midwest, and the State Programs Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Washington, D.C. Additionally, her board service includes the Cultural Fluency Initiative, 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. She also recently concluded a 20-year commitment as a civic election judge in 2025.
4. Carolyn Sleeth: Corporate Scaling and Healthcare Execution
Carolyn Sleeth brings more than two decades of senior executive experience in the medical technology sector to VocalEssence. Most recently, Sleeth served as Senior Vice President and U.S. General Manager at Insulet Corporation, where she oversaw a commercial division of 700 employees and drove annual revenue growth exceeding 20 percent. Prior to Insulet, she spent years at Medtronic leading commercial strategy, market development, and cross-functional operations within its cardiac, aorta, and venous vascular divisions.
A native of California, Sleeth holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Stanford University, a Master of Arts in Russian Studies, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Living in the Minneapolis area for two decades, Sleeth’s background in commercial scaling, operational oversight, and strategic growth provides VocalEssence with high-level corporate perspectives.
5. Sunita Vongharath-Evenson: HR Leadership and Organizational Culture
Sunita Vongharath-Evenson joins the board as a human resources executive specializing in talent development, organizational culture, and change management within mission-driven institutions. Her career focuses on helping nonprofits build sustainable organizational structures, foster internal leadership pipelines, and align operational policies with core values. Vongharath-Evenson’s focus will center on staff retention, executive support, and organizational culture as VocalEssence expands its workforce and community initiatives.
6. Karen Voracek: Strategic Philanthropy and Donor Experience
Karen Voracek brings over 30 years of corporate and philanthropic leadership to VocalEssence. She currently serves as Vice President of Donor Experience, Marketing & Strategy at Thrivent Charitable, where she leads enterprise planning, marketing, product management, donor services, and operational delivery.
Voracek spent nearly three decades in corporate leadership managing large-scale business transformations, marketing strategies, and customer experience frameworks before transitioning her focus toward systemic philanthropy and charitable giving strategies. Her board service includes the Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality. Voracek holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and German from Carroll University and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas. A lifelong musician who plays the clarinet and sings in her parish choir, Voracek offers VocalEssence expertise in modern donor acquisition, charitable giving systems, and brand engagement strategies.
Official Statements & Executive Commentary
The organizational leadership at VocalEssence highlighted the strategic value of the newly appointed directors, noting how their varied skill sets align with the institution’s long-term objectives.
Philip Brunelle, Founder and Artistic Director of VocalEssence, emphasized the role of new perspectives in supporting the organization’s ongoing development:
"I’m delighted to welcome our new board members to the organization," said Brunelle. "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 the alignment between the incoming appointees’ corporate backgrounds and the organization’s strategic goals:
"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."
Supporting Context & Strategic Metrics in Arts Governance
The restructuring of nonprofit boards across the performing arts sector has gained momentum in recent years. Historical models heavily reliant on traditional patron endowments are increasingly supplemented by boards equipped to navigate complex fiscal environments, evolving digital landscape trends, and changing workforce expectations.
Data from arts administration studies indicates three critical metrics currently driving successful cultural institutions:
Governance Diversity: Integrating board members from healthcare, high-growth commercial sectors, and financial management reduces institutional exposure to regional economic downturns.
Philanthropic Diversification: Shifting from single-event galas to continuous donor experience strategies—an area of direct expertise for incoming director Karen Voracek—significantly increases multi-year donor retention rates.
Equitable Representation: Institutions that recruit directors with dedicated expertise in diversity-focused executive recruitment (such as Bunny Robinson) and minority business growth (such as Sooki Jalali) report stronger engagement in suburban and historically underserved urban communities.
By addressing these performance metrics through its new board hires, VocalEssence is taking steps to secure both operational agility and financial stability.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ VOCALESSENCE GOVERNANCE PIPELINE │
└────────────────────┬────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
┌───────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────┐
│ Financial & Phil. │ │ Human Capital & HR│ │ Corporate Scale & │
│ Sustainability │ │ Inclusivity │ │ Entrepreneurship │
├───────────────────┤ ├───────────────────┤ ├───────────────────┤
│ • K. Voracek │ │ • B. Robinson │ │ • C. Sleeth │
│ • H. Miller │ │ • S. Vongharath- │ │ • S. Jalali │
│ │ │ Evenson │ │ │
└───────────────────┘ └───────────────────┘ └───────────────────┘
Future Outlook: Scaling Impact Across the Twin Cities and Beyond
As VocalEssence advances through its 58th year, the expanded Board of Directors will play an integral role in shaping its upcoming multi-year strategic plan. Key areas of focus for the incoming board will include:
Expanding Regional Outreach: Broadening the geographical footprint of VocalEssence’s education programs across Twin Cities schools and suburban districts.
Optimizing Donor Engagement: Leveraging modern philanthropic frameworks to expand sustained individual giving and legacy endowments.
Deepening Cross-Sector Collaborations: Building connections between the arts sector and regional business communities, health systems, and civic bodies.
Institutional Succession & Resilience: Strengthening internal governance frameworks to ensure the longevity of VocalEssence’s musical and educational programs for generations to come.
With a diverse group of corporate leaders, strategy advisors, and civic advocates now integrated into its governing body, VocalEssence is well-positioned to maintain its artistic tradition while advancing its mission of community connection through choral music.
