ULC is proud to announce our newest intern – Clayton Vye! Clayton joins our team after graduating from the University of Denver this past December. With a minor in Sustainability and a passion for nonprofits that drive positive social impact, Clayton is a great fit for ULC’s new Communications internship. He has already hit the ground running and will be attending local presentations, covering critical community-based stories and representing ULC at a variety of events. Keep an eye out for Clayton’s photos and articles on our website starting next week! To learn more about Clayton’s background, passions and hobbies, you can read his bio below:

Hello all!

My name is Clayton Vye and I am thrilled to introduce myself as the new Communications intern for Urban Land Conservancy (ULC). Hailing from the rocky shores of Massachusetts, I came to Denver in 2013 to study music at the University of Denver. In 2015 I shifted my career focus towards environmental issues and the sustainability field. Within the scope of my studies I found an interest in green urban development, equitable and affordable housing and transit-oriented development. That’s why joining the team at ULC seems like a logical fit for where my interests lie.

As we all know, Denver is growing at a rapid rate and wages and affordable housing/rent is struggling to keep pace. Smart development is needed to support the influx of new residents while keeping Denver from becoming more of an urban sprawl than it already is. Transit-oriented development, expansion of public transit, legitimate bike lanes, local gardens to help reduce food deserts in underrepresented communities, affordable rent and housing and raising the minimum wage are all components of what Denver needs during this time of demographic change. ULC understands that market forces, if not controlled, can be used to push underrepresented people and communities away and I wholeheartedly support this mission.

Before coming to work for ULC I held an internship with a Denver-based nonprofit – Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW), where I worked as a development director. In this role I assisted with the creation of a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign and attended their annual conference in Atlanta. Working for ESW was a great experience as it taught me about the power of nonprofits to enact real change in world, and is part of the reason I was so attracted to ULC as an organization.

Beyond working for ULC, I mainly spend time at home with my girlfriend and our cat Pancake. I am a drummer and I play in a couple of bands as well as make electronic beats on my computer. I also love the outdoors, as most Coloradans do, and I try and make the most of the beautiful weather here by taking walks outside, camping with my friends and occasionally going up to ski.