“What I love about Vermont, and New England in general, is just the access to everything,” says Carrie Simmons, executive director of the Stowe Area Association in Vermont, also known as Go Stowe. Stowe and the surrounding area are known for their natural beauty and landmarks like Vermont’s tallest waterfall, Moss Glen Falls, and tallest mountain, Mount Mansfield. Hailing from the relatively flat small town of Whitewater, Wisconsin, southeast of Madison, Simmons says the mountains were not always familiar to her. “I am a hiker, and I learned to ski after I took this job,” she says. “Being from the Midwest, I wanted to fully acclimate to the mountains. But I then fell in love with skiing—it is super fun.”
Simmons moved to Vermont in 2007 when her husband’s graduate program drew the family to Brattleboro. After a long stint working at branding agencies, including her own, a connection with a Stowe Area Association board member made at the annual Vermont Tourism Summit encouraged her to go after the leadership position in Stowe she holds today.
Simmons considers one of her great career accomplishments to be the creation of the Stowe Area Association’s Declaration of Inclusion, a commitment and plan developed in partnership with several organizations to cultivate a community in Stowe where everyone is welcome. She also is dedicated to supporting rising new leaders in the industry. Through her leadership coaching side business, Brilliance Unleashed, Simmons helps others navigate challenges, such as transitioning careers and overcoming imposter syndrome. “Sometimes you can feel very siloed, and having the support of a coach and also being able to offer that to others has been really helpful and meaningful for me,” Simmons says.
While many people have inspired Simmons throughout her career, she gives a special shoutout to her mother, who raised five kids on her own after Simmons’ father passed away. “Not to say that it was easy growing up, but just her impact on who I am now and the drive I have for my accomplishments and my leadership are big testaments to how I was raised and who she is,” she says.
Next year, the Stowe Area Association turns 80, and it will also launch a revamped website and branding under Simmons’ leadership. “We’re really enthusiastic for where our brand is going and what we’re doing,” Simmons says. “Lots of different things are happening. All at once, always.”
