Executive Director: Andrea Palm-Porter

As the Executive Director of Roaring Fork Leadership (RFL), Andrea Palm-Porter is instrumental in guiding the non-profit to expand beyond its core leadership educational program to provide meaningful opportunities to practice and apply what has been learned for the betterment of our communities.

“My experience guiding organizations into new markets and finding new opportunities is directly transferable to the challenges facing RFL as they broaden their mission,” says Palm-Porter.

“Leadership is a way of life, and a way to be fully engaged in everything you do.”

Palm-Porter’s career trajectory is impressive, with 30+ years’ experience driving strategic growth through strong leadership and relationships. She’s has worked in a multi-million dollar media organization, retail industry, and currently in the non-profit & leadership industry as the Executive Director of Roaring Fork Leadership. She attended the University of Eau Claire in Business Administration with an emphasis on Marketing – including a leadership curriculum. Andrea is also attaining her Master’s in Organizational Leadership through CSU. She is known for being able to grow revenue, be innovative, develop relationships, facilitate, define and drive product development, create awareness and execute projects with ease. A graduate and former board member of the Vail Leadership Institute, alumnus of the American Leadership Forum, and an Alumnus of the RFL Academy, Andrea is passionate about leadership as her personal mission is building a community of leaders. As she puts it, “A community of skilled & thoughtful leaders is a thriving & innovative community.”

She’s lived in the Colorado mountains since 1997 and is a mother to four: Tucker (20), Tessa (19), Brody (17) and Ruby Belle (16). She is dedicated to raising them to be amazing human beings with profound lasting relationships that will serve them throughout their lifetime. Andrea stands for contributing to a world of workability, compassion, and discovery. During her free time she enjoys being outside on her bike or on a mountain — skiing down or skinning up.

Favorite quote ” Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.” Les Brown

Program and Marketing Coordinator: Sarah Tory

Sarah comes to RFL having worked as an independent journalist for almost a decade covering the environment, migration, and rural communities. She has reported from across the western United States, the U.S.-Mexico border region, and South America for a variety of magazines and documentary film projects. Among other things, Sarah has written about refugees in Idaho, water scarcity on the Navajo Nation, and a man who disappeared at sea. She’s drawn to stories about people places on the margins. 

After riding a bicycle from northwest Argentina to the southernmost tip of South America in 2012, she completed an MFA in creative nonfiction writing at Columbia University and worked as a newspaper reporter in Chile. In 2016, she was a fellow at the Logan Nonfiction Program.  

Born in Toronto, Canada, she has lived in Carbondale for the past four years. When she’s not writing or reporting, she enjoys spending as much time in the mountains as possible, climbing, skiing, running, and riding her bicycle long distances. She’s also a volunteer tutor for English in Action and recently discovered a new passion for ceramics.  

Sarah is excited to help RFL’s mission of empowering leaders in the Roaring Fork Valley that go on to create positive changes in our community.  

She has completed Hostile Environment and First Aid Training through the International Women’s Media Foundation and speaks Spanish.