William is a seasoned business leader with a heart for service. He passionately leads Clayton’s work to build opportunities for children and families to live to their endless potential. With more than 30 years of distinguished leadership experience in strategic social impact development, program development, fundraising, change management, and business operations, he brings deep connections to the local and national philanthropy communities.

William’s leadership philosophy is rooted in helping others succeed, exemplifying what is possible when communities come together to solve complex problems, as demonstrated through his leadership to design significant systems improvement projects that transformed Colorado’s benefits management system and the State’s first quality management system for early childhood education.

William has an Executive Master’s Degree in Coaching and Consulting for Change from HEC University, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of New Mexico. He was selected and attended the prestigious University of Oxford Strategic Leadership Program, and he has completed the Corporate Social Responsibility Executive Program at the University of Colorado at Denver.

Paula leads Clayton’s external impact teams with more than 25 years of front-line experience working in Early Head Start and Head Start programs, passionately serving culturally diverse children and families. Since joining Clayton, Paula has led and managed all aspects of education, health, mental health, early intervention, and child and family services to support school readiness and strengthen families. She has also directed and leveraged numerous community partnerships throughout the State, enhancing quality and access to early childhood care and education programs, particularly for underserved communities. Paula currently provides leadership and oversight of Clayton’s school-based, home-based, and community-based early childhood programs. A recent Livingston Fellow, Paula earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Indiana University and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Studies, specializing in Management, Administration, and Leadership from Walden University.

Melissa has 18 years of early childhood field experience, including seven years as an early childhood educator, 11 years of experience in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems, and as a trainer for adult learners. In her current role, Melissa leads Elevate, Clayton's social enterprise brand of workforce initiatives which include external training and services, Quality Assessment Services, and professional coaching and training. Her specific areas of expertise include project design and management, instructional design, business development, leadership development, classroom assessments, and quality assurance. Melissa has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Outside of work, Melissa loves to spend her time in the beautiful mountains of Colorado taking photographs, hiking, fishing, kayaking, or camping.

Becca applies her mission-driven, equity-focused organizational leadership to Clayton’s Human Resources, Professional Development and Data, Research and Evaluation, and Marketing-Communications teams. With a track record of building and sustaining diverse, high-performing teams and positive and inclusive cultures, she has more than 30 years of experience in education and non-profit organizations, with specific expertise in designing vision and strategy, talent management, leadership development, executive coaching, facilitation and teaching, and implementing strategies to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in internal and programmatic work. Through her work with leaders across the country in hundreds of school systems, Becca has content expertise in K-12 theories of action, governance, leadership, superintendent search processes, community engagement, and other core areas of school system performance. She serves on the Boards of EdFuel, The Broad Center at Yale School of Management, and the Boulder Housing Partners Foundation. When not working to build strong communities, Becca is a word game aficionado who also enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, and striving to be number one aunt to her niece and nephews. Becca earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Technology, and Society from Stanford University.

Sydney is a dedicated fundraising leader passionate about enhancing community well-being and advancing public access to essential services. She brings a wealth of experience, including roles at the Denver Housing Authority, Warren Village, and Big Green. Her career is marked by a notable commitment to connecting families in Denver and across the country with essential resources such as affordable housing, comprehensive healthcare, healthy food options, and quality childcare. With extensive experience in institutional, corporate, and major donor engagements, she has raised and managed tens of millions of dollars to support community initiatives., Sydney aims to ensure that the philanthropic community is aligned with the vision for the future of Clayton's historic campus and its impact on educators, organizations, families, and children. Sydney holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business and served in the US Peace Corps.

Katy is inspired by cause-oriented work in education, community building, and access to resources for children and families. An East Coast transplant who has called Denver home for a decade, Katy has worked to cultivate deep connections to the city’s non-profit community. Katy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance, from Wagner College. Since starting her professional journey at Denver Kids, she has followed her passion for providing care and opportunity to students throughout Denver while growing her expertise in financial leadership. Katy shares her time and talent with Kramerica Gives, a local leadership and mentoring program, and was recently accepted to Leadership Denver. Outside of professional endeavors, Katy enjoys spending time with her family and pursuing outdoor passions of hiking, biking, and open-water swim racing.

With 15 years of experience in executive team support and organizational management, Hannah is passionate about creating positive experiences for both staff and the community Clayton serves. She started her career in real estate and banking, then shifted to apply her talents to work for organizations that aligned with her values and contributed to community-centered initiatives and the creation of diverse, high-performing teams.
Hannah previously served as the project lead for financial and administrative operations at the Mental Health Center of Denver where she focused on reducing administrative burden and improving processes to ensure the best possible experiences for both staff and the people they served. Most recently, Hannah was a key member of former Governor Bill Ritter’s team at Colorado State University’s Center for the New Energy Economy, helping to convene policymakers and stakeholders to support clean energy policy across the U.S.
Hannah is excited to apply her skills to make a difference for the Clayton community. She’s focused on creating efficient systems that will contribute to exceptional experiences to support Clayton’s mission of building strong family and community partnerships and holistic early childhood development. She holds a bachelor's degree in health services administration from the University of Central Florida. Outside of work, Hannah loves watching her kids play sports, hiking, climbing, and spending quality time with her family.