Denver Business Journal's 40 Under 40

Patrick Walton brings 13 years of experience spanning the private, nonprofit, and public sectors to the City and County of Denver as the Assistant Director of Government & External Affairs with Denver Economic Development & Opportunity where he leads external affairs, policy, and legislative affairs for the agency. 

Previously, Patrick worked with Mile High United Way in various roles focused on the economic mobility of families in Colorado including most recently as the Director of Tax Help Colorado where he led a statewide program that working to help families and individuals connect with valuable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, as well as free tax preparation services. As the Director of Volunteer Engagement, he led a community engagement strategy that included partnership cultivation, emergency activation and response, volunteer recruitment, oversight of volunteer engagements, and signature events.

Finally, as the Sr. Manager of Economic Opportunity and Education Integration with Mile High United Way, Patrick worked in partnership with leaders and community organizations to plan and implement Mile High United Way’s economic mobility efforts to achieve systems changes and positive outcomes for individuals and families in the community. 

Prior to joining Mile High United Way, he managed the guest services team at the Oxford Hotel in Downtown Denver as the Front Office Manager. During his time at the Oxford Hotel, it was designated by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the top 50 luxury hotels in the United States. Patrick’s experience also includes working on several political campaigns, as well as project management for the Katalysis Network, a MicroFinance organization based in Central America.   

In 2017 he was appointed by Mayor Michael Hancock to the Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission and currently serves on Denver’s LGBTQ Commission’s Executive Committee. Patrick also serves on the boards of the Asian Chamber of Commerce Colorado and Environmental Learning for Kids. In 2023 he was named as one of the Colorado LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce’s 40 Under 40 Business Leaders and in 2024 he was recognized as one of the Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award winners. 

Patrick was born and raised in Lodi, California, and graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California and a master of public administration from the University of Colorado Denver. He is an avid traveler, and you can often find him hitting the slopes during the winter.