Josh McClain

Josh joined UBRI in September 2023.  In the role of Sustainability and Resiliency Planner he works with municipalities in Erie and Niagara County to develop plans and implement measures to increase climate change resilience, as well as on a region-wide initiative to reduce region greenhouse gas emissions across various sectors.

Josh holds a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University at Buffalo, specializing in land use and environmental planning, and was a recipient of the university’s Academic Excellence Award. His graduate work culminated in a capstone project focused on opportunities for the reuse of vacant industrial land in Niagara Falls, NY, integrating an interest in the challenges of shrinking cities, urban ecology, and neighborhood revitalization.

Prior to UBRI, Josh worked for fourteen years in the public health and human services fields, as a program administrator and analyst for programs focused on reducing health disparities in Communities of Color and among People Who Use Drugs in Buffalo, NY. This work provided opportunities to engage with members of disadvantaged communities in program development and public advocacy, and to work on innovative regional partnerships to improve health and social outcomes for these groups.

Before moving to Buffalo, Josh spent several years in rural Honduras, working on sustainable agriculture and community development projects through a Honduran NGO. This experience provided a firsthand perspective on the impacts of climate change and globalization on vulnerable populations, especially in the Global South, and continues to influence his work among communities in Western New York.

Josh lives on the West Side of Buffalo with his wife and two sons. He loves (among other things) talking to strangers, audiobooks, planting trees, and all manner of outdoor adventures.