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The VBSR Terry Ehrich Award for Lifetime Achievement goes to ...
Lawrence Miller
Senior Advisor for Mission Investments, Vermont Community Foundation
This award is named in honor of late VBSR Board member Terry Ehrich, this award is given to a person exemplifying Terry's outstanding leadership, including sustained commitment to the environment, workplace, progressive public policy, and community.
Lawrence's participation in VBSR goes back to the early days of the organization, when he was Founder and Brewmaster of Otter Creek Brewing. His experience of incredible support as a young entrepreneur in Vermont led him to participation in a wide range of community and economic development efforts, aligned with the VBSR principle that business can be a powerful lever for positive change.
In the years since selling the brewery he has worked as an independent advisor helping organizations and individuals create change. In addition to volunteer service on boards and commission, from 2011-2016 he served as Secretary of Commerce and Community Development and then Chief of Health Reform in the Shumlin administration.
These days he spends half his time as Senior Advisor for Mission Investments at the Vermont Community Foundation, with the balance providing strategic consulting and executive coaching as Five Vine Consulting, LLC, and serves on the boards of the National Bank of Middlebury, Tuttle Printing (100% ESOP), and TouchPoint, Inc.
The VBSR Innovation & Inspiration Award goes to ...
Blue Spruce Health
This award recognizes VBSR member organizations who have accomplished a recent innovative and/or inspirational achievement in the areas of Planet (Environmental Impact), People (Social Impact), and Prosperity (Economic Impact).
At Blue Spruce Health, we’re changing the way healthcare works—putting you first every step of the way. No rushed appointments. No insurance hassles. Just care designed around your needs. Good primary care is about access, trust and relationships, and our direct primary care model allows us to be available 24/7, offer meaningful savings on labs and generic medications, and spend unrushed time listening and supporting your health journey.
Blue Spruce Health was founded from Dr. Umair Malik’s desire to fully embrace his profession as a physician and restore the physician patient connection that has been lost in modern medicine. Direct primary care allows him to devote more time to his patients and remove the barriers created by deductibles, co pays and insurance restrictions.
Dr. Malik is a Board Certified Family Physician who has practiced in Newport, Vermont for ten years. He earned his medical degree, Magna cum laude, from St. George’s University through an international program in England, the West Indies and the United States, and completed his residency at Case Western Medical Center in Cleveland, OH with a focus on public and global health. His work in Guatemala and Thailand strengthened chronic disease management in local communities. He also has advanced training in medical aesthetics and growing interests in aging well and functional medicine.
A native of Montreal, Dr. Malik is proud to call Newport home. He is fluent in French, Urdu and Hindi, has studied several additional languages, and enjoys caring for patients of all ages with a no nonsense approach to health and wellness. He is the recipient of the Visionary Culture Award at Hint Summit 2026.
The VBSR Young Changemaker Award goes to ...
Ashley Laporte
Global SVP of People & Impact, Burton Snowboards
This award recognizes an individual under age 40 who has led the formation of a socially responsible enterprise. The awardee is selected based on their ability to use the power of business to advance innovative solutions to society’s challenges.
Ashley Laporte is Burton’s Global SVP of People & Impact (SVP P&I) overseeing the People & Culture, Purpose & Impact, and Internal Communications teams. The People & Impact department supports Burton’s ambition to be a purpose-driven company – fostering a workplace and culture that reflects our values and empowers high-performing teams.
Ashley returned to Burton in November 2022 as Vice President of Purpose & Impact, overseeing sustainability and climate initiatives, JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion), sports advocacy, and philanthropy. (Ashley first worked at Burton back in 2015 on the Digital Marketing team.) Before rejoining, Ashley co-led RALLY’s corporate practice, helping brands build impactful advocacy strategies. Ashley brings people leadership and corporate impact experience from her time leading the Integrated Marketing team at Seventh Generation (a Unilever company) where she built a 20+ person team of Marketing experts across media and distribution, content and creative, ecommerce, and integrated planning. This team helped drive double-digit category growth for the brand, while also leading the creation of “Believe in a Seventh Generation,” which launched after the 2020 State of the Union and received coverage in the New York Times and AdAge.
Ashley grew up in Stowe and now lives in Duxbury, Vermont with her partner Luis, their son Santi, and their dog Otis. They love taking walks in the woods behind their house, riding at Bolton or Stowe, jumping in lakes and rivers, and car camping all over the state.
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