City Council member Denise McClusty said she was inspired to run for office by long-term volunteer work and a desire to “have the voice that counted” for residents of University Place.

McClusty told the council she began volunteering in third grade with the Boy and Girl Scouts, later served as a scout leader and was appointed to the Parks Commission, where she served for seven years. She said she later joined the Planning Commission before running for the City Council to represent citizens’ concerns.

Her background, she said, informs her approach to community-focused committees and grassroots engagement. “What I love most about serving my community is enjoying the citizens, enjoying their city,” McClusty said. She described regular park visits and hearing residents praise University Place’s character and community life.

McClusty also described personal interests she said shape how she engages the public. She said she is a yoga instructor who practices “almost every day” and an artist who makes edible art and gives cakes away rather than keeping them. She recounted taking up karate while her children trained and eventually earning a black belt.

She highlighted one committee example, saying work with the authority board includes advocating that the zoo be welcoming “to everybody of all ages, abilities, and economic capabilities.”

McClusty encouraged residents who want to get involved in local government to start by identifying their goals, join commissions, and learn the details of the issues and partnerships that support them. “Just be a bulldog about all the facts and details,” she said. She said the best way to contact her is by email.

No formal actions, votes or policy proposals were part of this statement; it was an introductory presentation by an individual council member describing her background, interests and outreach priorities.