Andrea

The RFL Academy 2025 cohort has taken on five impactful projects, each aiming to address specific challenges in the Roaring Fork Valley through community-focused initiatives. Here’s an in-depth look at the selected Civic Impact Projects: Aspen Camp for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Dedicated to creating an environment that goes beyond physical accessibility, Aspen Camp is implementing two major components: adaptive community engagement and physical site enhancements. The adaptive approach involves workshops, dialogues, and immersive experiences to broaden the community's understanding of challenges faced by the deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or deafblind. The project will engage local leaders and [...]

RFL Alumni Spotlight: Lizz Bailey Development Director at Roaring Fork Leadership We are excited to introduce Lizz Bailey, an alumna of Roaring Fork Leadership (RFL) and our new Development Director. Learn more about her journey, her experience with RFL, and what she’s passionate about in her new role. Q&A with Lizz Bailey Q: What year did you graduate from the Roaring Fork Leadership Academy and how did your experience with RFL impact your career and personal growth? A: I graduated from the RFL Academy in 2020, which was an incredibly impactful time to complete the program as COVID-19 shutdowns began. My [...]

The "Women in the Workplace 2024" report from McKinsey & Co. offers a critical look at the progress women have made in leadership over the past decade. Locally, these findings resonate deeply in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valleys, where women, especially women of color, remain underrepresented in leadership roles across key industries like hospitality, healthcare, and outdoor recreation. The report reveals a mix of gains and setbacks. While the number of women in leadership has grown, this progress is fragile, with many women facing significant barriers at the managerial level. At RFL, we see these national trends reflected in [...]

In an era defined by rapid change, uncertainty, and interconnectedness, the need for effective leadership has never been more pronounced. From climate change and economic inequality to geopolitical tensions and global health crises, the challenges facing humanity and our valley are multifaceted and complex. Traditional models of leadership, characterized by top-down decision-making and hierarchical structures, often struggle to address these issues adequately. As we stand at the precipice of unprecedented change, there is a growing recognition of the need for a new approach to leadership—one that is adaptive, collaborative, and rooted in trust. Enter Roaring Fork [...]

Step-Up For Fulfillment by Nancy Fredericks | Blog Are you aware? Research reveals that the training and development occurring by many companies rarely is designed to help you achieve your desired career—let alone set you up to move into the senior ranks. Yes, organizations are stellar at developing tactical, definable knowledge relevant to your day-to-day development—it’s just not often applicable to gaining a heightened career future! SHRM reports that 69 percent of human resource professionals believe they are not developing their employees to meet the organization’s future requirements. Are they offering leadership training? Yes! However, their executives aren’t acquiring the less [...]

There is a need for upskilling, reskilling, onboarding, and rebounding training to ensure a vital workforce.  Employers directly benefit from investing in their employees through education, training, and development. Additionally, investing in staff results in increased productivity, engagement, and organizational success. Our rural Colorado workforce has changed over the past two years with more remote workers, up to five generations working in the workforce, globalization, high housing prices, lack of affordable housing, and lack of child care options or cost. There are pockets of progress and innovative ideas on these issues, although we continue to struggle. Roaring Fork Leadership (RFL), [...]

Q & A with Julie Warren, RFL Academy 2013 Alumni In 2019, Julie Warren suffered the devastating loss of her 16-year-old daughter, Anna, after a three-year battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma. That year she started the ALC Foundation to honor her daughter by raising money for organizations that support families fighting pediatric cancer. As the Chief Marketing Officer for the River Valley Ranch Golf Course and co-owner with her husband, Red Cunningham, of the Homestead Bar & Grill in Carbondale, Warren came to RFL Academy 2013 hoping to improve her management and leadership skills, with the goal of building better a [...]