In the News

Q & A with Scott McHale, RFL Academy 2015 Alum By the time Scott McHale joined the RFL Academy 2015 cohort, he had weathered a lot of ups and downs in his career as an architect — Sept. 11, the Great Recession, a lay-off — challenges he endured in part from the “tough guy” ethos instilled in him as a child. In between, Scott designed a ski resort in Korea and base village developments from Tahoe to Aspen Highlands, as well as building his own house in Carbondale. But he credits RFL with helping develop the emotional awareness that has [...]

Q & A with Bonnie Muhigirwa, RFL Academy and Mastermind Alum Bonnie Muhigirwa grew up in the Roaring Fork Valley and studied political science and international relations at Wheaton College in Chicago. But it was building codes that ultimately captured her interest for a career that has brought her back to the valley, working for the City of Aspen. Currently, Bonnie is an enthusiastic member of the International Code Council, the nonprofit organization that oversees building code development. Locally, she volunteers in the Roaring Fork School District where her kids, ages 8 and 12, are students. RFL spoke with Bonnie about [...]

Q & A with Marjorie Jerez, RFL Academy 2020 alum Marjorie Jerez at work in the White River National Forest. Among the many pictures from last fall’s Camp Hale National Monument designation ceremony is a photo of a young U.S. Forest Service employee shaking hands with President Biden. The employee is Marjorie Jerez, the renewable resources GIS [Geographic Information System] specialist with the White River National Forest and an RFL Academy 2020 alum. For Marjorie’s parents, who immigrated to the U.S. from Nicaragua “with nothing,” she says, the photo is an immense source of pride. For Marjorie, too, attending the Camp Hale [...]

Q & A with Josh Axler, RFL Academy 2021 Alum These days, you won’t find Josh Axler behind a desk — or even on dry land — very frequently. The RFL Academy 2021 alum spends much of his time at sea, sailing a large carbon race boat or his own, much smaller, wooden boat, Heike. "She's my baby!" he says. Axler realized the hard way that he was not suited for a conventional path through life. At school in Flagstaff, Arizona, he struggled to sit through class and stay focused and eventually got kicked out of the ninth grade (technically, [...]

Q & A with Susan Harig, RFL Board President and 2018 RFL Mastermind Alumni Susan Harig Susan Harig moved to the Roaring Fork Valley from Las Vegas in 2013 with her husband, Jeff, and their son, Tillman. Tired of the intense heat and confines of city life, she found the big life change she sought in the valley’s cool mountain air and rural setting — a place where her son could climb trees and play outside on his own. In her professional life, too, Susan was also looking for a change. Previously, she was wearing suits and [...]

Q & A with Mitzi Rapkin, RFL Academy 2013 Alumni: You might recognize longtime Roaring Fork Valley resident, Mitzi Rapkin, from her podcast, First Draft, where she interviews authors about their writing — fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and essays. She’s also a former outdoor educator, guide, public radio reporter, and most recently, an entrepreneur. We chatted with Mitzi about starting a life-coaching business and the role RFL has played in her varied career path.  RFL: First off, how long have you lived in the valley?  Mitzi Rapkin: Twenty years. Back in the summer of 1992, I was an intern for ACES [...]

Q & A with Jannette Whitcomb, RFL Academy 2002 Originally from Illinois, Jannette Whitcomb moved to the Roaring Fork Valley 24 years ago to work for the City of Aspen’s Environmental Health Department where she focused on providing programs that empowered the community to improve their health and well-being. After years of “leading from the side,” as Jannette describes, this past June, she achieved a longtime career goal of taking on a director-level position when she was named Garfield County’s new Environmental Health Manager.   Recently, RFL sat down with Jannette to learn more about her career path and how [...]

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), [...]