Carolina Marañón-Cobos' relationship with VocalEssence began almost 15 years ago. She served as a cultural attaché at the Mexican Consulate and, through the VocalEssence ¡Cantaré! program, watched the Minneapolis-based choral nonprofit, in partnership with composers from Mexico, honor her culture on stage. After her tenure at the consulate, founding artistic director Philip Brunelle invited her to join the board. She served as board president 2022-25 and has guided two cycles of strategic planning. Marañón-Cobos has also expanded community engagement and infused equity into board governance, championing programs that reflect Minnesota’s communities. Marañón-Cobos is programming manager for the Institute of Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.