Alumni Story: Vernon Lovejoy ’71

Veteran. Conservation Leader. Global Advocate for Public Lands.

Vernon Lovejoy ’71 has lived a life defined by service—first to his country, then to the stewardship of public lands, and to communities around the world. A combat veteran, Purple Heart–recipient and Vietnam veteran from Hamlin, West Virginia, Lovejoy’s journey from military leadership to national and international conservation influence reflects resilience, vision, and a lifelong commitment to making places better than he found them.

Lovejoy joined the U.S. Army with the express desire to serve in Vietnam. In less than a year, he advanced through the ranks, earning a commission as a Second Lieutenant and eventually achieving the rank of Captain. His military training included Officers Candidate School and the Institute for Military Assistance with the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets). After returning from Vietnam, he continued his service by joining the Army National Guard while attending Morris Harvey College (now the University of Charleston). During his very first National Guard weekend in Huntington, the tragic Marshall University football team plane crash occurred—an experience he recalls as deeply traumatic, particularly so soon after returning from war.

Seeking a school close to home, Lovejoy found Morris Harvey College to be a place of transition, healing, and opportunity. He credits two professors in particular—Dr. Thomas Lowe and Dr. Charles Lieble—for helping him navigate the shift from military to civilian life. “I give them a lot of credit for making Charleston a great place, and I found a home there,” Lovejoy says. “I still credit UC for helping me be a success. Since then, I have taken classes from ten other colleges across the country, and UC is my favorite.”

Lovejoy earned his bachelor’s degree in Geography in 1971, serving as president of Gamma Theta Upsilon, before continuing his education at Eastern Kentucky University, where he completed a master’s degree in Outdoor Recreation and Park Administration in 1975.

His professional career would span decades and shape outdoor recreation policy across the United States. After graduate school, Lovejoy accepted a position in Mobile, Alabama, then relocated to Wyoming, where he spent twelve years building expertise in parks, recreation, and tourism. His work eventually led him to Denver and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), where he rose to roles of national leadership, including National Manager of the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Program, and overseeing programs across seventeen western states.

At BOR, Lovejoy became a key architect of national outdoor recreation policy. His areas of expertise include managing nationwide outdoor and commercial recreation programs; developing and implementing national policy for commercial concessions; creating sustainable recreation business plans; overseeing campground systems, national scenic trails, wilderness inventories, and visual resource management; and guiding tour guide and outfitter programs. Among his most enduring contributions was his role as one of five individuals who helped create the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, formerly known as the Golden Eagle Pass. Today, millions of Americans use this pass to access public lands—often unaware that a UC graduate’s work helped make it possible.

Although he officially retired from federal service in 2010, Lovejoy never stopped working. He is the CEO and Owner of Lovejoy Consulting and a Principal with Haas & Lovejoy Protected Area Advisors, providing expertise to governments and organizations focused on protected area management. For the past 15 years, he has worked extensively in Belize, advising on the management of 103 protected areas and helping develop strategies to generate revenue, drive tourism, and support local economies through sustainable practices. His work includes feasibility projects that elevate regions to National Heritage Destination status, strengthening both conservation outcomes and economic vitality.

Lovejoy’s influence extends beyond consulting. He is a heritage advocate with the Alliance for Historic Wyoming and serves on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Protected Area Committee. His career has been recognized with multiple national awards honoring his leadership and impact.

Despite residing in Colorado, Lovejoy maintains deep ties with Charleston and West Virginia. One of his most meaningful contributions was to the West Virginia State Museum at the Capitol. After Vietnam, Lovejoy preserved numerous artifacts but had no clear plan for them—until the museum learned he was a West Virginia native and asked him to donate. Not only did he deliver a truckload of personal items, but he also encouraged museum staff to collect artifacts from his late mother’s home. An avid collector of West Virginia history, her collection—combined with Lovejoy’s—resulted in hundreds of donated items. Today, Vernon Lovejoy is the museum’s single largest donor. The UC connection continues there as well, with museum director Charles Morris also being a University of Charleston graduate.

Outside of his professional life, Lovejoy is an avid world traveler, having visited 25 countries, and has enjoyed big-game safari hunting in Africa.

From the hills of West Virginia to the public lands and parks of the American West and protected areas in the Caribbean, Central America, Southeast Asia and other places around the world, Vernon Lovejoy’s legacy is one of leadership, conservation, and commitment. His story is inseparable from the University of Charleston—an institution he credits not only with shaping his career, but with helping him find his place in the world.