Vail Valley legend Rod Slifer remembered

It’s hard to fully capture the impact Rod Slifer had on the Vail Valley during his lifetime.

“Some may call him a legend, others a visionary, but here at Alpine Bank we were lucky enough to call him our friend,” the Glenwood Springs-based bank said in a press release on Friday. “As a founding board member, Rod Slifer’s guiding leadership and drive to put community first will forever be part of Alpine Bank’s culture.”

Slifer served on the Alpine Bank Board of Directors for 51 years before his passing in February of 2024. A memorial service was held in his honor on Thursday, June 27 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail. Hundreds gathered to pay tribute to a man who had a heart for service.

“Rod was one of those rare natural leaders,” said Alpine Bank Chairman & Founder J. Robert “Bob” Young. “He never wavered because he had a clear vision that wasn’t based off what he thought was best, but what would serve his community. His guidance was very formative and inspiring in those early years of the bank.”

Slifer is best known as the principal owner of Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate and for his 11 years as mayor of Vail. But his real legacy is one of determination and persistence.

“To be a great leader you have to care about people,” said Alpine Bank President Glen Jammaron. “Rod really excelled at making you the best version of yourself. He always wanted to lift people up, and that perspective to empower others is what made Rod unique.”

Slifer was born and raised in Brighton, an agricultural stronghold on Colorado’s Eastern Plains. His journey took him to CU Boulder where he studied business. And where years later, he would be a founder of the University of Colorado Real Estate Center and Real Estate Foundation.

After a stint in the Navy, Slifer moved to Aspen where he taught skiing, waited tables at fellow Alpine Bank board member Peter Guy’s Steak Pit and painted houses in the summer. In 1962, he headed to up-and-coming Vail to do more of the same, except that in addition to ski bumming, he also got his real estate license. That fortuitous credential would set his legacy in motion.

When Alpine Bank founders Bill Vollbracht and Young were starting the bank, they immediately set about recruiting Slifer to serve on the board. Slifer went on to serve as a director of Alpine Bank since 1973 and as a director of Alpine Banks of Colorado since 1980. He was a member of the Executive Committee and the Compensation Committee.

During Alpine Bank’s 50th anniversary in 2023, Slifer was asked which of the bank’s core values most resonated with him, naturally he remarked “community.”

“I think the number one factor in Alpine Bank’s success is that we’re a community bank,” explained Slifer. “Even going into larger cities, we’re retaining the spirit of local community banking, and that we’re here to serve people.”