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Melissa Peng

Melissa Peng serves as Special Assistant to NHC President and Director Blair LM Kelley. She plays a central role in managing the director’s day-to-day activities, contributing to the grants team, coordinating events, and fostering meaningful connections across the organization.

Immediately prior to joining the Center, Melissa served as Programs and Strategic Initiatives Coordinator at the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her responsibilities included managing events, facilitating faculty and community collaborations, and supporting grant initiatives. Her background in arts administration, small business management, and nonprofit program coordination includes work with the American Dance Festival (Duke University) and Carolina Performing Arts (UNC–Chapel Hill).

Melissa holds a BA in dance and an MALS in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in choreography from Hollins University. She has taught dance and choreographed for institutions including The Yard, North Carolina State University, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, the American Dance Festival, and Hollins University.