Roaring Fork Leadership

08/31/2026

We are incredibly grateful to the Snowmass Rotary for awarding RFL a grant to further our mission of building strong leaders and creating meaningful opportunities in our community.

If you’re looking for a way to get involved locally, Aspen Rotary is a dynamic organization doing incredible work throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.

They’ve also recently opened a satellite club in Basalt, creating even more ways to get connected and make an impact.

Connect with Aspen Rotary to learn more and get involved!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1D2cSZMHiG/?mibextid=wwXIfr

08/28/2026

Day 1 of Academy was Amazing!

Thursday, Aug 27, 2026, the first day of our first retreat for our 10 month leadership program.

Today we continue to focus on Leadership & DiSC.

Want to sign up on the waiting list for next year or sign up and employee?

Share this with somebody who needs help with their personal growth and leadership journeys.

Tag us and we’ll get you on the waiting list. Spaces are limited.

08/28/2026

⛳ ONLY 5 TEAMS LEFT & a FEW Sponsorship Slots

Will you join us on 9/25 at Lakota Links in New Castle for Live Music, Gold, Happy Hour & Live Auction? Near Glenwood Springs

Bring your team for a day of golf, incredible Western Colorado scenery, networking and fun — followed by our Happy Hour (Live Band • Stranahan’s Whiskey Tasting • Silent Auction).

WHY THIS FUNDRAISER MATTERS

For nearly 40 years, Roaring Fork Leadership has been developing stronger leaders across Western Colorado, from Aspen to Parachute and…Grand Junction.

With more than 1,100 alumni, your support helps us continue providing leadership development, scholarships and opportunities that strengthen our people, businesses and communities.

🏌️ 4-Person Scramble
⏰ 11:00 AM Shotgun Start
⛳ Only 5 teams remain!

SPONSORSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE

• ⛳ Tee Box Sponsors
• ⭐ Welcome Sponsor

Want your business at the event? Contact Tanya at 760-822-3502 or message us!

👉 REGISTER YOUR TEAM:

Want the link sent directly to you? Text Tanya at 760-822-3502 or comment below and we’ll send it to you!

COME JOIN US!

Come golf, network and connect with some incredible businesses, business owners and leaders from across our community and Western Colorado.

A huge THANK YOU to our amazing sponsors for supporting Roaring Fork Leadership and making Leadership at the Links possible!

Lakota Links Romero Group Bighorn Toyota Glenwood Springs Carpet One Floor & Home Derron ITrip Aspen Snowmass Aspen Valley Health Timberline Bank @
Eastwood Investments
Bonfire Coffee
Lakota Bluff
Aspen Valley Health
Timberline Bank
Elevated Plumbing and Heating
Commercial Restoration Company
Sweet Coloradough
Bonfire Coffee
East West Hospitality
Z Group Architects
Mountain Closets
Reese Henry Aspen

Support the businesses that support our community!

Andrea Palm-Porter Tanya Van Rickley

08/25/2026

🎉 Help RFL CELEBRATE Andrea Palm-Porter and more than a decade of expanding what community leadership can look like across our region.

Since Andrea began leading Roaring Fork Leadership in 2011,
553 of RFL’s 1,046 alumni have come through RFL; more than half of the alumni in the organization’s history.

And those numbers are only one part of the story.

Under Andrea’s leadership, RFL has continued to evolve beyond its flagship Academy; developing RFL Mastermind, launching ELEVATE, bringing leadership development into rural communities through USDA-supported programs, creating learning and capacity-building opportunities for nonprofit leaders, and expanding RFL’s work around belonging, bridging differences, facilitation, and civic engagement.

And since 2011, RFL Academy teams have taken on 74 documented Civic Challenges; putting leadership into practice on real issues facing our communities.

553 alumni.
74 civic challenges.

New programs. New partnerships. New ways for people to lead.

But Andrea’s impact is probably hardest to measure in numbers.

It’s in the person who found the confidence to step forward.

The alum who joined a board.

The nonprofit leader who found a new way through a difficult challenge.

The relationships formed across communities, sectors and perspectives.

The conversations that happened because someone was willing to bring people together.

And the hundreds of people who have carried what they learned at RFL back into their organizations and communities.

Andrea has spent more than a decade creating the conditions for other people to lead and trusting that when we invest in people, the impact ripples outward.

Happy Birthday, Andrea! 🎂

Here’s to the connections made, the challenges tackled, the leaders developed , and all the ripples still to come.
Better leaders. Better communities.

08/20/2026

And they're off. 🎉

The RFL Academy Class of 2027 came together for the first time this week; 27 leaders beginning a ten-month journey of learning, connection, challenge, reflection, and growth.

We started with one of the principles at the heart of the RFL Academy: Connection Before Content.

They arrived excited, curious, hopeful, exhausted, open, intentional, and ready.

We asked who they want to become as leaders. What issues facing our region they care about. What they're curious about. And, 90 minutes later, how they were leaving.

The shift says a lot: Inspired. Ready. Curious. Eager. Giddy. Stoked. Hungry for more.

Over the coming months, they'll learn from one another, practice new ways of leading, work on real community challenges through Civic Impact Projects, and explore what it means to lead themselves, others, organizations, communities, and systems.

Twenty-seven individual leadership journeys are already beginning to become one learning community. And this was only Orientation. Next stop: Conscious Leadership Retreat.

Better Leaders. Better Communities.

The leadership journey has begun for the Roaring Fork Leadership Ac...

08/03/2026

Are We Facing a Participation Crisis?

Communities need leaders more than ever, yet fewer people are volunteering, joining organizations, or engaging in civic life. Is it really a lack of time or something deeper? Read Roaring Fork Leadership’s newest thought leadership article and discover why rebuilding connection may be one of the most important investments we can make in our communities.

→ Visit the blog for more and download the full whitepaper (free). https://rfleadership.org/the-particpation-paradox/

08/01/2026

Grab your early bird discount and sign up your golf team. https://rfleadership.org/golf/

Roaring Fork Leadership is excited to return to Lakota Links Golf Course on Friday, September 25, 2026 for our second annual Leadership at the Links Golf Tournament.

We’re grateful for the early momentum and partnership already building around this event, including support from The Romero Group, Bighorn Toyota, East West Hospitality, Z Group Architecture & Interior Design, and Mountain Closets.

From a $10,000 Hole-in-One opportunity to a day of friendly competition and meaningful connection, this event brings leaders together in a different way....on the course and in community.

🤝 Want to get involved early? Sponsorship opportunities are beginning to fill, and we’d love to connect with you. Reach out to Tanya at [email protected] to explore partnership opportunities.

07/31/2026

Who Will Help Shape Our Region's Future? RFL Academy applications have been extended through July 31.

We're building an incredible Academy class with leaders from business, nonprofits, healthcare, government, education, construction, finance, and more. Now we're looking for a few more exceptional people to complete the cohort.

The best candidates don't always apply on their own, they're often encouraged by someone who sees their potential.

Who comes to mind? A colleague. A friend. A community volunteer. An emerging leader. Someone ready to expand their leadership, strengthen their network, and make an even greater impact in our region.

Applications close July 31. Encourage someone to apply or nominate them today.
https://rfleadership.org/academy/

07/30/2026

Every great leader has someone who helped them grow. Now it's your turn.

Roaring Fork Leadership is seeking volunteers to help strengthen leadership across our region. Whether you volunteer at an Academy session, serve as Board Secretary or Treasurer, or join one of our committees, Alumni Engagement, Marketing, Fundraising, or Programming, your time and expertise can make a lasting impact.

Share your leadership. Help shape what's next.

1. Volunteer at an Academy Session (Available for RFL Academy Alum)
Share your experience and support current participants by signing up for an upcoming Academy session.
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F044FA5A92BABF49-64221263-rflacademy #/

2. Volunteer for the Board or a Committee (Available for Anyone Interested)
Serve in a leadership role to support RFL's future and strategy.
Submit your interest to learn more here: https://rfleadership.org/rfl-volunteer-opportunities/

Thank you for continuing to invest in leadership throughout the Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valleys. We couldn't do this work without our incredible network!