Anna Menz has lived in the Vail Valley for over 17 years, and her passion for the valley grows stronger every year. Since obtaining her real estate license in 1998, Menz has worked side by side with one of the area’s true real estate professionals – John Appleby.

“I have learned from the very best and we work exceptionally well together, Menz says. Their teamwork and success has been continuously recognized over the last several years, and they were rated in the top five producers at Slifer Smith & Frampton in 2002, selling more than $64 million in real estate transactions.

Menz was born and raised in beautiful Adelaide, South Australia. Her parents were both in the theater business and she is grateful for her exposure to the arts from a very young age. “My favorite childhood memories are surfing in the summer at our family beach house, life-guarding as a teenager, and attending countless theatrical performances with my parents.”

Menz left Australia following her strong sense of adventure and desire to see America. “I was always enamored by the American spirit and its majestic beauty so I decided to tour the USA to see if the images on TV really existed.”

Setting up residence in America was not in her original plans, but after visiting family friends in Vail, she fell in love with the mountain lifestyle. During her initial visit here she realized that “the people of the Vail valley have a unique and simple way of appreciating life.”

“The valley communities have been able to retain their small town feel, but have all the luxuries and sophistication of any large city” she adds.

If you ask Menz what keeps her in the Vail Valley she will tell you that one of the main reasons is “the compassion, generosity and spirit of the people who live here. I am amazed how the town keeps on giving and continues to support others in the community – time and time again.”

After her arrival here Menz held various positions within the hospitality industry. These positions included resort destination management, concierge services, activities coordinator, and the sales director at Bachelor Gulch & Beaver Creek Club selling private memberships. “I really enjoyed the challenges of the sales profession and wanted to continue my career in that direction which made selling real estate such a perfect fit for me,” Menz says.

Forever active, Menz has been very involved in the many noteworthy causes that the community here represents. She is most proud of her work with the Vail Buddy’s group which is a locally developed child mentoring and development program. Additional volunteer projects for Menz include the Vail Jazz foundation, the Vail Valley Foundation, eight years of fundraising for the Vail Gala dinner, the 1999 World Alpine Ski Championship, and the New York rescue workers detoxification fund in 2003.

Menz has also excelled within the local bicycle racing circuit. She began competing as a mountain bike racer and advanced to pro racing and competed in the 1994 championships held in Vail. Other hobbies include salsa dancing, hiking, movies, snowshoeing, theater, travel and skiing. Menz admits that “her form and style on the ski slopes has significantly improved after 17 years of practice.”

Anna Menz specializes in Bachelor Gulch, Arrowhead and all down valley properties.