Hotel Owner and Nonprofit Executive Win Stowe Area Excellence Awards 2024

Stowe, VT (June 10, 2024) — The Stowe Area Excellence Awards, presented at the Stowe Area Association (SAA) Annual Meeting on June 4, 2024 at the Backyard, recognize leadership and innovation within the local community.

Carolyn Lawrence, executive director at Stowe Trails Partnership, was awarded the inaugural Stowe Emerging Leader Award. Nominated by fellow SAA members, this award recognizes individuals who embody the highest levels of personal and professional accomplishment and who serve as role models in the Stowe business community.

“Receiving this new award means so much to me (and was a huge surprise),” said Lawrence. “Stowe is full of kind and influential leaders whom I admire, and I feel lucky to be a part of this community that lifts each other up through the work that we do.”

At Stowe Trails Partnership, Lawrence is focused on connecting communities with sustainable and inclusive outdoor recreation. Stowe Trails Partnership, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, partners with the community to build, maintain, and promote access to a diverse multi-use trail network for all users.

Rachel Vandenberg, co-owner of Sun & Ski Inn and Suites, Stowe Bowl and Stowe Golf Park, was named SAA’s Stowe Business Person of the Year. This award recognizes an SAA member in good standing who is involved in the community with town projects or sits on a town board, acts as an ambassador of Stowe, and participates in the tourism industry. Nominees were unanimously selected by a nomination committee of past winners.

“The Stowe Area Association has been instrumental for the success of our local business for over three decades,” said Vandenberg. “I’m proud of serving the organization for the last 10 years and honored to receive this year’s Business Person of the year award.”

Vandenberg has owned Sun & Ski Inn and Suites and related resort businesses since 2012, serving as general manager until 2023. She joined the SAA board of trustees in 2014 and served as the board’s president from 2017 to 2020. Vandenberg also founded The Travel Leader, a leadership content and coaching company, and a professional development retreat for women in travel called Accelerate Women Leaders in Travel.

About Stowe Area Association

Established in 1945, Stowe Area Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit member-based destination leadership organization with the primary purpose to promote the Stowe region as a vibrant, world-class destination. Our mission is to market and sell the natural beauty of Stowe, its cultural and recreational opportunities and member businesses while simultaneously enhancing the quality experience for guests and the quality of life of Stowe residents in a manner which improves the economic well-being of the community and consciously promotes environmental integrity. Known outwardly as Go Stowe, SAA operates the Stowe Visitor Information Center, located in the heart of Stowe’s historic Village, as well as central reservations for Stowe-area lodging properties, and provides resources for planning a trip to Stowe, Vermont. Visit gostowe.com for more information.

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