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VocalEssence Welcomes New Board Members

November 12, 2024

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VocalEssence is thrilled to announce the addition of three new members to its Board of Directors. The VocalEssence Board of Directors serve as ambassadors for the organization in the larger community. They also guide VocalEssence in all major policy decisions while ensuring the financial stability of the 56-year-old nonprofit.

“I’m delighted to welcome our new board members to the organization,” says Philip Brunelle, VocalEssence artistic director and founder. “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.”

Meet the New Members:

Brianna Hill

Headshot of a Brianna Hill with shoulder-length, dark brown hair wearing a sleeveless, purple top, and a long string of white pearls.Brianna Hill is CEO of Intimate Perspectives, LLC, an enterprise offering services from business consulting, project management, life coaching, and much more. Her recent experiences include being an adjunct professor at MSU-Mankato/St. Paul College, a Supervisor & Probation Officer for 15 years, an independent beauty consultant for Mary Kay, Inc., has served as an operations manager and volunteers as the director of the Children and Teen Ministry at her local church. She is a professional dance choreographer and has been featured in music videos and is currently a dance teacher.

Brianna was the former chair of the Community Services Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (CSIDE) team and member of the Black Employe Network (BEN) at Dakota County, MN.

Brianna holds an M.A. in leadership & management, B.A. in criminal justice and psychology, and a forensic science certificate. She is finishing her candidacy for a doctorate in educational leadership (Ed.D.) after dissertation completion.

Anna Ostroushko

Headshot of Anna Ostroushko with shoulder-length, wavy black hair. She is wearing clear-framed glasses and is wearing a dark top under a green sweater.Anna Ostroushko is a Grants Management Associate at Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies where she supports the foundation’s domain teams and grantmaking processes.

Previously, Anna worked for MacPhail Center for Music with Giving Voice Chorus, a chorus for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and their care partners. She also served as the manager for MacPhail’s School Partnerships program supporting both in-person and online instruction with schools in the Metro area and across Greater Minnesota.

Anna graduated from Hamline University with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology. She currently lives in the St. Croix Valley with her husband.

As a lifelong fan of VocalEssence, she is excited to become more involved in the organization by joining the board. She is looking forward to bringing her knowledge and expertise to help support VocalEssence and its mission, vision, and values.

Mary Tjosvold

Headshot of Mary T who has shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair. She is smiling warmly and wearing a green jacket with a textured scarf in shades of green and yellow. Mary M. Tjosvold, has a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and has completed the Owner Management Program at Harvard Business School. In 1976, she founded the Mary T. Family of Companies, which specializes in customized living options for seniors and people with disabilities through housing, home health, and other services.

Mary T received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota Regents and, in 2012, received the Martin Luther King Building Peace and Unity within the Global Community Award.

In 2014, Mary T opened Crooners, a restaurant and live music venue. Crooners is listed as one of the top 106 Jazz Clubs in the World.

Mary T established the Mary T. Scholars in 2014 with the University of Minnesota to provide graduate students an opportunity to engage in graduate-level professional development through community-based work in a foreign country. Graduate students in the program have traveled to in Cameroon, West Africa, Thailand, Cambodia, and Dharamsala, India with future plans for Laos and Nepal.

Posted in: Together We Sing

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