OUR HISTORY
Originally formed in 1975 in Aspen, CO by real estate entrepreneurs Bill Tooley and Greg Peterson from the West Coast and Joel Cowan from Atlanta, the spirit of the group was to share information and trends in the real estate industry while building meaningful relationships. This first Aspen meeting was a success, so they agreed to make it an annual tradition and the name “Aspen Group” stuck. Each subsequent meeting was a forum for in-depth discussions to exchange new information and ideas that would hopefully improve outcomes in their respective businesses. Over time, the group evolved to include broader topics around global and U.S. political trends shared by outside speakers who were invited to enrich the discussion and share different perspectives. Guests were also invited to meetings, and some of these guests were invited back as members, growing the size and commitment to the group over the years.
Today, The Aspen Group has a broad membership of men and women from across the US, Europe and Asia. And annual meetings include serious thought leaders speaking on government trends, academic topics of interest, NGOs, and private sector interests. These intimate and informative gatherings continue as the Aspen Group builds broader understanding of our diverse world and fellowship among friends.
The Aspen Group in 1978
Jackson Hole, WY
The Aspen Group in 2019
US TRANSCOM, St. Louis, MO
PLACES WE’VE TRAVELED
1975 – Aspen, CO
1976 – Pajaro Dunes, CA
1977 – Pajaro Dunes, CA
1978 – Jackson Hole, WY
1979 – Aspen, CO
1980 – Nantucket, MA
1981 – Jackson Hole, WY
1982 – Santa Fe, NM
1983 – Seabrook Island, SC
1984 – Victoria B.C., CANADA and San Juan Islands, USA
1985 – Aspen, CO
1986 – Jackson Hole, WY
1987 – Woodstock, VT
1988 – Napa, CA
1989 – Washington, D.C.
1990 – Sun Valley, ID
1991 – Incline Village, NV
1992 – Saint-Amand-Longpre’, FRANCE
1993 – Cabo San Lucas, MEXICO
1994 – Tacoma, WA
1995 – Napa Valley, CA
1996 (1 of 2) – Sea Island, GA
1996 (2 of 2) – Hong Kong
1997 – Sun Valley, ID
1998 – Carmel, CA
1999 – Vienna and Prague
2000 – Aspen, CO (25th Anniversary)
2001 – Washington, D.C.
2002 – Newport Beach, CA
2003 – Saint-Amand-Longpre’, FRANCE
2004 – Palo Alto, CA
2005 – Washington, D.C.
2006 – Santa Fe, NM
2007 – Washington, D.C.
2008 – San Francisco, CA
2009 – Saint-Amand-Longpre’, FRANCE
2010 – Sun Valley, ID
2011 – Washington, D.C.
2012 – Colorado Springs, CO
2013 – Washington, D.C.
2014 – San Francisco, CA
2015 – Austin, TX (40th Reunion!)
2016 – Atlanta, GA
2017 – Washington, D.C.
2018 – Seattle, WA
2019 – St. Louis, MO
2020 – Princeton, NJ