Meet Our Board
We bring different perspectives, but have one purpose: to bring more art to the City of University Place.
Ronaldo Rolin President
Derek Zhao brings warmth, community spirit, and a love of music to the UP for Arts board. As the owner of Happy Duo Cafe in University Place, he has created a welcoming space where people gather, connect, and share conversation over great coffee. His experience running a local business brings valuable operational insight and a strong understanding of what helps community organizations thrive.
A proud parent of two young musicians, Derek is passionate about supporting arts education and strengthening connections between families, teachers, and young artists. He believes music has the power to calm, energize, and bring people together across generations.
Derek has lived in University Place for ten years and deeply values the friendliness and strong sense of community in the city. He has also served on the board of Tacoma Music Collaborative for four years. Through his work with UP for Arts, Derek is excited to help bring more people out to concerts and expand opportunities for the community to experience music together.
When he’s not running the café or supporting the arts, Derek enjoys cooking—especially making homemade dumplings and bao for family and friends.
Denise McCluskey Secretary
Derek Zhao brings warmth, community spirit, and a love of music to the UP for Arts board. As the owner of Happy Duo Cafe in University Place, he has created a welcoming space where people gather, connect, and share conversation over great coffee. His experience running a local business brings valuable operational insight and a strong understanding of what helps community organizations thrive.
A proud parent of two young musicians, Derek is passionate about supporting arts education and strengthening connections between families, teachers, and young artists. He believes music has the power to calm, energize, and bring people together across generations.
Derek has lived in University Place for ten years and deeply values the friendliness and strong sense of community in the city. He has also served on the board of Tacoma Music Collaborative for four years. Through his work with UP for Arts, Derek is excited to help bring more people out to concerts and expand opportunities for the community to experience music together.
When he’s not running the café or supporting the arts, Derek enjoys cooking—especially making homemade dumplings and bao for family and friends.
Derek Zhao Vice President
Derek Zhao brings warmth, community spirit, and a love of music to the UP for Arts board. As the owner of Happy Duo Cafe in University Place, he has created a welcoming space where people gather, connect, and share conversation over great coffee. His experience running a local business brings valuable operational insight and a strong understanding of what helps community organizations thrive.
A proud parent of two young musicians, Derek is passionate about supporting arts education and strengthening connections between families, teachers, and young artists. He believes music has the power to calm, energize, and bring people together across generations.
Derek has lived in University Place for ten years and deeply values the friendliness and strong sense of community in the city. He has also served on the board of Tacoma Music Collaborative for four years. Through his work with UP for Arts, Derek is excited to help bring more people out to concerts and expand opportunities for the community to experience music together.
When he’s not running the café or supporting the arts, Derek enjoys cooking—especially making homemade dumplings and bao for family and friends.
Caroline Belleci Treasurer
Pianist Xiaohui Yang brings extraordinary artistry and an international perspective to the UP for Arts board. Winner of the 2017 Naumburg International Piano Competition, she has been praised by the press as a “tastefully polished musician” and “a magician of sound and virtuosity.” Her performances have taken her to major stages across four continents, including Carnegie Hall, Ozawa Hall, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the Seoul Arts Center.
Xiaohui has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Louisiana Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, and the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. She is also a dedicated chamber musician who has performed at renowned festivals such as Marlboro, Tanglewood, Ravinia, Banff, and Taos, collaborating with many of today’s leading classical artists.
Deeply committed to sharing the power of music with audiences and communities, Xiaohui brings her passion for performance and artistic collaboration to her work with UP for Arts. She believes music has a unique ability to inspire, connect people, and enrich community life.
In addition to her solo career, Xiaohui is a founding member of the Steans Piano Trio, performing alongside violinist Eunice Kim of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and cellist Oliver Aldort of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Dan Skelley Director
Derek Zhao brings warmth, community spirit, and a love of music to the UP for Arts board. As the owner of Happy Duo Cafe in University Place, he has created a welcoming space where people gather, connect, and share conversation over great coffee. His experience running a local business brings valuable operational insight and a strong understanding of what helps community organizations thrive.
A proud parent of two young musicians, Derek is passionate about supporting arts education and strengthening connections between families, teachers, and young artists. He believes music has the power to calm, energize, and bring people together across generations.
Derek has lived in University Place for ten years and deeply values the friendliness and strong sense of community in the city. He has also served on the board of Tacoma Music Collaborative for four years. Through his work with UP for Arts, Derek is excited to help bring more people out to concerts and expand opportunities for the community to experience music together.
When he’s not running the café or supporting the arts, Derek enjoys cooking—especially making homemade dumplings and bao for family and friends.
Xiaohui Yang Director
Pianist Xiaohui Yang brings extraordinary artistry and an international perspective to the UP for Arts board. Winner of the 2017 Naumburg International Piano Competition, she has been praised by the press as a “tastefully polished musician” and “a magician of sound and virtuosity.” Her performances have taken her to major stages across four continents, including Carnegie Hall, Ozawa Hall, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the Seoul Arts Center.
Xiaohui has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Louisiana Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, and the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. She is also a dedicated chamber musician who has performed at renowned festivals such as Marlboro, Tanglewood, Ravinia, Banff, and Taos, collaborating with many of today’s leading classical artists.
Deeply committed to sharing the power of music with audiences and communities, Xiaohui brings her passion for performance and artistic collaboration to her work with UP for Arts. She believes music has a unique ability to inspire, connect people, and enrich community life.
In addition to her solo career, Xiaohui is a founding member of the Steans Piano Trio, performing alongside violinist Eunice Kim of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and cellist Oliver Aldort of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Savannah Jane O’Malley Director
Savannah O’Malley brings creativity, community passion, and a love of visual storytelling to the UP for Arts board. A painter, muralist, writer, and startup business developer, Savannah has spent the past 15 years blending artistic practice with community engagement. Her murals can be found across the region, including in Bonney Lake, Fife, and at Sunset Primary School in University Place, reflecting her commitment to making art accessible to all.
With experience serving on the KBTC/PBS board and as Special Education Chair on the University Place PTA Council, Savannah brings a unique perspective on arts education and inclusion. She is passionate about fostering opportunities for young people to explore and express themselves through art, believing that the arts tell the stories words sometimes cannot.
A University Place resident for seven years, Savannah values the city’s engaged families and vibrant community spirit. Through her work with UP for Arts, she is excited to help bring more color—literally and figuratively—to the city and its schools.
When she’s not painting or supporting local arts initiatives, Savannah enjoys yoga, spending time with her family, and being on the Puget Sound.