Lord Family Advised Fund

Karen, Max, Rachel and Courtney Lord

Karen and Courtney Lord, with their children Rachel and Max, have had an ongoing love affair with Aspen. Courtney’s first visit in 1967 led to a subsequent residence from 1974 to 1976 when he became involved with the development of the Aspen Club. After meeting in Washington DC, Karen and Courtney moved to Aspen part-time in the mid 80’s with their young daughter and, with the addition of their son, full-time in the mid 90’s. The family relocated to Michigan in 2000, which only reinforced their attachment to Aspen. Four years later, they returned yet again and built their current avant-garde home.

“Aspen was established with a multi-dimensional vision. Those of us who are lucky enough to live here have the responsibility of nurturing that unique and special history,” Courtney says. Raised in Westchester County, New York, Karen believes that socio-economic differences are more apparent in the Roaring Fork Valley than in the suburbs, thereby making the local needs more compelling. “Doing is the most critical form of giving back to the community,” she stresses, which she has illustrated through her dedicated Board work for Aspen Youth Experience where she has also inspired her children and husband to volunteer.

Rachel, a fine arts major at the Rhode Island School of Design, and Max, a state champion downhill mountain biker and boarding student at Colorado Rocky Mountain School, will both be instrumental in how the family employs their new Donor Advised Fund. Created in the summer of 2006, the Lord Family Advised Fund has long-term goals in mind: to share Karen and Courtney’s passion for philanthropy with their children and to learn more about the evolving needs of the community.